Phase I Reports
The Tutbury War Memorials Preservation Committee have now received the final reports from Smith and Roper, Conservation Architects, detailing the state of the Stone Cross War Memorial (SCWM) at St. Mary’s Priory Church, Tutbury including a Specification of Materials and Works (SMW) to conserve and preserve the Memorial.
The following documents are available to review in detail:
Phase I has cost £3,852, with the War Memorials Trust and East Staffordshire Borough Council each paying half.
The summary of the reports is that:
1. The SCWM is leaning but not subsiding
2. When pressure is applied to the cross, the shaft moves
3. Previous repairs have failed and/or were poorly executed
4. Various ferrous dowels and wooden packers have caused stone to fracture in several places
5. There is a significant amount of biological growth on the two plinths
6. Almost all of the mortar is missing which leads to further erosion
The summary of the course of action proposed by Smith and Roper (4.1 in the Condition Survey document) is as follows:
- Dismantle cross, main shaft and upper plinth complete.
- Clean stonework of lower plinth, redress and renew stone indent and repoint.
- Rebuild upper plinth to level, allowing for limited grinding of underside of stones and packing as necessary.
- Allow for incorporating stainless steel cramps to hold base and plinth together and provision of additional dowels between base and plinth.
- Cut out defective stonework within foot of shaft base and provide new stone indent.
- Provide minimum 3no non-
ferrous dowels between base and plinth. - Re-
erect main shaft. - Renew moulded upper section of shaft cap and refix cap and cross centrally set and correctly aligned incorporating non-
ferrous dowels. - Lift perimeter paving and stone flag path, adjust levels to fall away from monument.
- Relay paving incorporating additional line of pavers to path around monument.
- Replace damaged stones to east side of steps.
- Reduce size of planted border, infilling and turfing as necessary
In order to keep people informed of the project proposals, it would be helpful if the A1 drawings of the proposed ground plan and elevation could be displayedat the rear of the church.
The TWMPC plans to continue the project as shown below:
1. Review access to the Memorial as the current approach is only via steps; we also need to research funding options for this element. This may result in small changes to the access part of the SMW.
2. Obtain permissions:
a. Raise a Faculty via the Parochial Church Council.
b. Copy the Faculty to English Heritage (as they have requested) as the Memorial is within the curtilage of the Grade I Listed church.
c. Discuss the Statement of Work with East Staffordshire Borough Council as the Memorial lies within a Conservation Area.
3. Obtain quotes – this will be managed by Smith and Roper as they have the relevant experience in this area. We have been given a verbal estimate by Richard Smith that they would expect a cost in the order of £15,000 to complete the SMW specified.
4. Seek funding from the War Memorials Trust and other organisations (mostly local) and fund raise within the village.
5. Execute the work (overseen by Smith and Roper)
6. Rededicate the Memorial
Our estimated timeline for this is to have the conservation work done during spring/summer 2015 and a rededication on 1st July 2016, as 6 of the 47 WWI Fallen on the Memorial died on the 1st day of the Battle of the Somme and a further 3 died during the remainder of the battle in the following months.
As noted in (4) above the initial estimate for conservation is £15,000. We hope to get a significant grant from the War Memorials Trust (WMT), but we will still need to raise over £4,000 rising to the full amount if WMT funding is limited; we will be approaching all local councils, businesses and organisations to help with this funding to preserve the village’s War Memorial.
