Restoration work set to continue at War Memorial in Berwick

As reported last month, the cleaning of the memorial stonework and inscription panels was carried out by Northumberland County Council’s Neighbourhood Services team, as well as a general tidy up of the rose beds and the addition of new flowers.

At the time, the local authority said that additional restoration work on the railings, stonework and surrounding paving stones would be carried out after Remembrance Day to avoid any risk of the memorial being in a state of partial repair during the commemoration.

The next stage in this process is a formal application that mentions re-pointing of the plinth and replacement of damaged flagstones, among other works. It has been validated in the last week and a decision will be made in due course.

Cabinet member Coun John Riddle said the project has been “a high priority for Berwick for some time”.

One of the reports submitted by the council in relation to the application includes the following: ‘Only materials which have been demonstrated to be appropriate to the original fabric will be considered. These will normally be the same or similar to the host material.

‘Where this is no longer possible, the technical and aesthetic properties must be compatible with the original and in line with the written consent of the conservation officer.

‘The project will be regularly monitored with site visits from the supervising officer, regular progress and updating of the work as it proceeds.’