Northumberland Treasures undergo Restoration Work
Two historic landmarks in Northumberland are currently undergoing thousands of pounds worth of repairs to help preserve them for future generations.
Specialist repair company, Stone Technical Services from Darlington, County Durham is carrying out improvement and preservation works at Lindisfarne and also St Bartholomew’s Church in Cresswell.
Lindisfarne, one of Northumberland’s most popular tourist attractions, is constantly exposed to harsh weather conditions on the North East coast and requires careful management due to its popularity. Stone Technical Services is carrying out a conditional survey of the area, also known as Holy Island, and inspection of the steep cliff faces. In addition, the company will also be improving the area by removing overgrown vegetation in time for the spring and summer months. The project, costing around £3000, is being funded by the National Trust.
At St Bartholomew’s Church in Cresswell, just south of Druridge Bay, Stone is carrying out a major restoration and repair project costing in the region of £30,000. The work on the church, which dates back to 1836, is being funded by the Parish Council and includes masonry replacement to the bell turret and end gable, lead repair work, lime mortar repointing and the renewal of the carved entrance pillars. The work is expected to be finished by the end of March.
Stone are experts in their field, working all over the UK on a variety of high profile buildings such as St Paul’s Cathedral and Selfridges in London and the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle. The company, which has office in Darlington and Middlesex, regularly carries out specialist projects for English Heritage, the National Trust and local councils and is the appointed contractor managing structural and high level maintenance repairs and lightning conductor installations at St Paul’s Cathedral
David Stone, who runs the Darlington-based company with his brother Grahame, commented: “Both Lindisfarne and St Bartholomew’s Church need vital repair works to make them attractive but, more important, safe for public use. Both play important roles in the community- Lindisfarne as a major tourist attraction and St Bartholomew’s as the hub of the local community. As leaders in our very specialist field we have the skills and expertise to carry all of the work sympathetically and efficiently in time for both landmarks to be enjoyed in the spring and summer months.”
