Pargetting

Parggetting, also spelled pargeting, is a decorative plastering technique in which lime-based plaster is applied to walls and formed into raised relief patterns while still pliable. The resulting work can be on interior or exterior surfaces and often features motifs such as swags, lattices, flowers, urns, and heraldic devices, created by wooden or metal molds, stamping, punching, or carving.

Historically, pargetting reached its peak in Britain and Ireland from the 16th to the 18th century, especially on timber-framed houses. The process typically used lime putty plaster mixed with hair or fibers, applied in layers. Relief patterns were produced by pressing molds into the soft plaster or by incising the design as it stiffened, after which the surface might be painted or limewashed.

In later periods, cementitious plasters and modern synthetic materials supplanted traditional lime pargetting in some regions, but many historic buildings retain preserved pargetted facades. Conservation involves careful removal of decayed material and replacement with compatible lime mortars, matching texture and color, to maintain historical integrity and prevent further damage to the relief.

Today, pargetting is studied by architectural historians and preserved by specialist restoration craftspeople. It is valued for its historical association with regional building traditions and for the decorative variety of patterns that survive on surviving walls and interiors.