A five-month programme of extensive restoration to a Grade I listed war memorial is beginning, as part of South Holland District Council’s work to preserve and protect the Lutyens Memorial in Ayscoughfee Gardens.
The £205,000 works, funded by South Holland District Council, will include the delivery of numerous repairs and improvements to the monument, including cleaning of the stonework, roof tile replacement, the repair of ceiling and cornice cracks, removal and installation of new skirting, flooring replacement and repointing, careful repair of the memorial panels and other essential works.
This follows on from further restoration works last year which included a specialist cleaning, a structural render analysis of the memorial, and the installation of a new perimeter French drain to divert rain flow away from the monument.
These initial phases were important to help understand the memorial’s full condition and to address underlying issues before the full works began, after a pause over the winter months to avoid any risk of damage caused by cold and wet weather.
Work has begun this week and is due to run until October, to allow the memorial to be open and restored in time for Remembrance Day commemorations in November. For safety and to secure the area and the memorial, hoarding and coverings will be erected whilst the works take place.
Designed by the renowned architect Sir Edwin Lutyens and completed in 1922, The Temple of Remembrance is a vital place of reflection for the local community, commemorating those connected with the town who lost their lives in the First World War.
Councillor Elizabeth Sneath, portfolio holder for conservation and heritage, said: “I am delighted that the full restoration process for this vitally important and symbolic monument is now getting underway.
“We must do everything we can to protect it and the memories of those commemorated within it for many generations to come, to recognise the sacrifice they made and the important role it plays in our local heritage.”
Councillor Henry Bingham, portfolio holder for assets and strategic planning, said: “This crucial work to restore the hugely significant Lutyens monument has been a long time in the making, and it is great to see it getting back underway thanks to the council’s work alongside our local partners and contractors.
“We know how important it is to get this project right, and to ensure we are safeguarding the memorial every step of the way. This is a precise and expert process and, whilst the work will take several months to complete, we are confident it will secure the protection and prestige of the monument, and Ayscoughfee more widely, for many years to come.”
Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/Seadog81
