Inspection shows further deterioration of Lord Hill’s Column
Scaffolding is to be erected around The Column in Shrewsbury as part of moves to prevent debris falling from Lord Hill’s statue – and in readiness for work to either repair or replace the statue later this year.
An inspection of the 17-feet tall statue was carried out by structural engineers on Monday after several pieces of stone fell to the ground in heavy winds last week.
The engineers’ inspection found that the statue’s condition has deteriorated since it was inspected by conservation experts Taylor Pearce in November 2012, almost certainly as a result of the extremely cold, wet and windy weather experienced since then.
After considering the engineers’ findings and the current state of the statue, council officers have ruled out the option of wrapping the statue in netting or wire mesh, as this would be costly and difficult to do safely.
The erection of the scaffolding will start, once a suitable design is agreed with the council’s contractors.
Once the scaffolding starts to go up, the perimeter of the safety fencing that currently surrounds the base of The Column will be reduced, allowing pedestrians to once again access Preston Street, and allowing access to Shirehall via Processional Way.
The report by Taylor Pearce – which looks at a range of future options for the statue, including repairing it or replacing it with a replica – is currently being considered by English Heritage.
Rob Wagstaffe, property service manager with Shropshire Council, said:
“This week’s inspection found that the condition of the statue has greatly deteriorated since last November. Many bits of stone and other debris fell from the statue last week and our priority now is to prevent further pieces falling before work to either repair or replace the statue begins.
“Engineers removed a large number of loose pieces to prevent them falling – but have advised that it would be very difficult to safely wrap the statue in netting or mesh and very expensive, and there would be no guarantee that this would prevent further debris falling to the ground.
“Whether we end up repairing or replacing the statue, we’ll need to erect scaffolding around The Column. So, by doing it now, we’ll be able to get to the top to make the statue safe in the short-term, reduce the safety fencing that surrounds the Column, and ensure that the scaffolding is already in place when long-term work begins.”
The Column has been surrounded by safety fencing since pieces of stone fell from the statue in April 2012 and again in December 2012. Conservation experts Taylor Pearce carried out an inspection of the statue in November 2012 to assess its condition at that time and to suggest future options.
