Project Overview
The Britannia Inn sits at the heart of Fortuneswell, a building with roots stretching back five hundred years. A farmhouse first, then an inn since the 1800s, it has been a fixture of the local community ever since. Under new management and ready for a fresh start, the brief was to refresh the entire exterior, bringing the building back to a standard that reflects both its age and its ambition.
Envirodec were brought in to carry out a full exterior redecoration, working across walls, windows, doors, gutters, pipework and some of the most detailed ornamental mouldings we have encountered on a commercial project.
The Brief
The management team wanted the exterior to look sharp, well-maintained and welcoming, without losing the character that makes the building special. That meant working carefully around a series of intricate carved plaster mouldings, decorative panels and period architectural details that are very much part of what the Britannia is.
The building also presented a practical challenge that cannot be ignored in Portland: coastal exposure. Years of salt air, wind and weather had taken their toll on the surfaces, and any finish applied needed to stand up to the same conditions going forward.
Our Approach
Working from a scaffold across the full height of the building, the team started with thorough preparation. Surfaces were cleaned back and assessed before any product went on, because on a building of this age, preparation is everything.
The ornamental mouldings required a completely different approach to the broader wall areas. Carved panels featuring green man faces, heraldic shields, scrollwork and a classical Britannia profile medallion demanded careful cutting in and hand application throughout. The team worked around every contour, keeping the decorative details sharp and legible while ensuring consistent coverage into all the recessed areas.
The woodwork, including sash windows, door frames and fascias, was prepared and finished in a deep teal that runs consistently across the frontage. The main entrance door was finished in a high-gloss red, a strong contrast that gives the front elevation a confident, traditional pub identity. Gutters and pipework were brought in line with the overall colour scheme.
The upper sections of the building, including a distinctive ornamental parapet with scrolled corbels, were coated in a period-appropriate blue-grey, visible from across the roofline and out towards the sea.
The Result
The Britannia’s exterior has been transformed. The teal and white frontage is clean, consistent and properly finished, with every moulding picked out clearly and the woodwork carrying a quality of finish that the building deserves.
The ornamental details, which could easily have been lost under heavy-handed application or rushed preparation, now sit exactly as they should: defined, well-painted and part of a building that looks cared for.
I’ve used Envirodec for multiple commercial projects and I can safely say the results they achieve are always top notch. Looking forward to the future projects we have coming up. — M.S
Why It Matters
A project like this one is a good reminder of what decorating actually involves when it is done properly. The Britannia was not a straightforward repaint. It is a building with history, character and detail that demands respect.
Getting it right meant understanding the surfaces, taking time with the preparation, and treating every element, from the carved mouldings to the guttering, with the same level of care. That is the standard we hold ourselves to on every project, whatever the scale.
Envirodec provides professional exterior decorating services across Bristol and the South West, working with commercial property owners, pub operators, developers and historic buildings.
