Historic statues on the front of Northampton’s Guildhall are being given a facelift by a team of stonemasons from the town.
Scaffolding has gone up on the 149-year-old council building over the past few weeks so expert stonemasons from St James-based firm, Underwood & Weston can carry out the work.
The firm’s director, Matthew Jeyes, said: “Some of the work we’re having to do is quite detailed and difficult.
“There’s quite a lot to be done to the statues, although most of them are in a good condition, considering their age.”
Among the 14 statues on the front of the building are St George and St Patrick as well as King Richard I, Henry III, Henry VII, Edward IV and Queen Victoria.
Mr Jeyes said: “There are bits of stone which could have fallen off, and they would certainly have hurt somebody if they had hit them.”
A team of four masons are currently working on the building while two more are back at the firm’s base in St James, carving replacement pieces for the statues.
The work, which also includes general repairs to the Guildhall’s facade, is expected to be completed by July.
Mr Jeyes, whose firm has also worked on All Saints Church and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, said: “The Guildhall is a very nice job for us to do, especially as we’re a Northampton company.”
Council leader, David Mackintosh (Con, Rectory Farm) climbed the scaffolding on Wednesday to get a closer look at the repairs.
He said it was incredible to see the Guildhall’s intricate stonework close-up, adding: “You normally see the Guildhall from a distance, and it always looks impressive, but to see the level of detail from this height is an amazing experience.
“And being up here also shows how important it is that we do this repair work to safeguard the Guildhall for future generations. It has been amazing to come up and see it in person and get such a great view of the town.”
Problems with the stonework were discovered during a routine inspection. The restoration is due to cost £65,000.
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