War Memorials Trust

WM3442

Dear Mr. Nuth

Thank you for the photographs you supplied of the Tutbury war memorial.  I would agree that there is a need for some repair and conservation works to be undertaken to this memorial at this time.

There are a number of open joints in the memorial and some areas of previous repair are starting to fail.  These need to be addressed using non-cementitious lime mortar.  In addition to this there appears to be black pollution crusts on the memorial which will damage the stone underneath and should be removed using appropriate conservation techniques.

The bronze plaques would also probably benefit from some attention and I attach our help sheet on bronze for your information.  This is very specialist work and should only be carried out by a conservation metal specialist.  I would also like to draw your attention to a new project called In Memoriam 2014 which may be of interest.  This is a partnership between SmartWater and War Memorials Trust.  In Memoriam 2014 will protect memorials at risk of theft or damage by marking them with a forensic liquid called SmartWater.  The crime prevention fluid, which is being made available at no charge, will not only make memorials uniquely identifiable, it also offers robust traceability should a theft occur.  This will act as a significant deterrent to those considering desecrating our war memorials by massively increasing their chances of detection and subsequent arrest.  If you would like further information on this please visit www.inmemoriam2014.org or contact Annette Gaykema on annettegaykema@inmemoriam2014.org.

Finally I note that there is some unevenness at the base of this memorial.  This may not be an issue but should be considered by an appropriately qualified conservation architect or structural engineer to determine if this is any cause for concern.  I note that the memorial is in the grounds of a church.  As such you may wish to initially approach the church architect to ask them to advise on the condition of the war memorial.

I take this opportunity to mention that War Memorials Trust runs grant schemes for the conservation and repair of war memorials.  

The Trust administers two grant schemes.  The first is our Small Grants Scheme.  This scheme assists with the conservation, repair and protection of all types of war memorials in the UK.  The scheme awards grants of up to 50% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of £2,500.  

There are no set deadlines for this grant scheme but please note that it may take a few months after submission of an application for a decision to be advised, dependent on the quality of information supplied with the application and volume of applications being assessed.  War Memorials Trust is unable to fund work retrospectively, so please do not commence work prior to making and receiving a decision on your application to the scheme.  

The second is the Grants for War Memorials Scheme funded by English Heritage and the Wolfson Foundation.  This scheme can be up to 50% of eligible costs or £20,000, whichever is the small.  The project costs must be a minimum of £3,000.  This scheme is decided twice yearly with closing dates for applications being the 31st March and 30th September.

Please note that we cannot fund work retrospectively, so applicants should not contract for or commence work until the Panel has made its decision on their application.

I attach a copy of our Expression of interest form which is the first stage of applying for a grant.  Before any works are undertaken it is important to establish if this memorial is a Listed Structure, within a Conservation Area or is considered curtilage Listed by contacting your Local Planning Authority.  If any of these apply then it may be necessary to obtain Listed Building Consent or Faculty permission to undertake any work.

I hope that you find this additional advice helpful.  If you have any further questions, or if we can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind Regards

Ms Emma Nelson

Conservation Officer