Repair work to take place on Lord Hill’s statue in Shrewsbury
The 198-year-old statue of Lord Hill on top of The Column in Shrewsbury is to be repaired and repainted.
The work will be carried out after small pieces of masonry fell from the statue in April 2012, December 2012 and again in April 2013.
But with experts estimating that the statue will require further repairs every five to ten years, Shropshire Council is asking people for their views about its long-term future.
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.
Their report – which looks at a range of options for the statue, including repairing it or replacing it with a replica – has been considered by English Heritage over the past few months, and their recommendation is that the statue be repaired.
In readiness for the repair work, scaffolding will be erected around the Column in early August.
Tenders for the work will now be invited by Shropshire Council and the repair work on the 17ft-tall statue will begin once a contractor for the work has been appointed and they have indicated the timescales involved.
Work would need to be carried out before the cold winter weather arrives. If the contractor feels that this isn’t possible, work will be delayed until next spring, and the scaffolding will remain in place until work is completed.
Once a contractor is appointed and the cost of the work is known, Shropshire Council plans to apply to English Heritage for a grant of up to 25% towards the costs.
Keith Barrow, Leader of Shropshire Council, said:
“After being exposed to the elements for nearly 200 years, Lord Hill is clearly in a bad way and we need to do something to stop any more bits falling off the statue, and to make the area around the Column safe for passers-by.
“As English Heritage have recommended that the statue be repaired in situ, we’ll now carry out the necessary repairs as soon as possible. But as further repairs are likely to needed in five to 10 years we want people to tell us now what they think should be done with the statue in the long-term.
“The Column was paid for by public subscription so we want to know what the public think. Should it be repaired on an ongoing basis? Should it be replaced with a replica? Should the Council – and therefore Council Tax payers – pay for any future work? We really want to know what people think.”
People can raise comments and questions about the future of the statue on the Lord Hill’s Column, Shrewsbury Facebook page or by emailing lord.hill@shropshire.gov.uk.
A public meeting is also being planned for later this year at which people will be able to find out more about the planned repair, learn more about Lord Hill and The Column, ask questions, and have their say.
