The outside of Plymouth Guildhall has been getting some TLC as part of a project to repair, restore and clean the stonework.
The landmark building is getting a facelift to clean up and repair the effects of decades of pollution and salty sea air, which has damaged stonework and detailing.
The Guildhall, including Great Hall, Assize Courts and City Treasury, was originally built in the 1870s but reduced to a shell during the Blitz. The buildings survived – by one single council vote in 1951 – the threat of demolition and became a focus of Plymouth’s rebuilding and the most significant survival from the bombed city centre.
It was one of the few damaged buildings to be restored rather than rebuilt. Now 70 years later stonework is being repaired, renewed and in some cases, the stonemasons are undoing work that was completed in a time when there was less knowledge about how to look after old buildings.
The work – which started at the end of last year – involves repairs to the stonework on all sides of the building. Cement used in earlier repairs has been replaced with a sympathetic lime render which would have been used historically, allowing the building to breathe better.
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Features and figures that are once more gleaming include the Portland Stone carvings at ground level. There are 12 flanking carved figures incorporated in the north aisle wall with the 13th being the ‘Coronation’.
The figures are described as sermons in stone; each having a meaning which has been taken from the book ‘Sermons of the Panels of the new Guildhall, Plymouth’ by Rev. R.W. Whitley published in 1876.
The scaffolding is now being removed from the northern side and the front, with its unusual wavey entrance canopy, is next in line for work including repairs, cleaning and waterproofing. As the building is listed, the project has been carried out under the guidance of a conservation and heritage officer from the council.
JNE are the main contractors for the works and have sourced High Tech Services Limited to carry out the surveys, historic repair specifications and structural advice and Westcountry Stonemasons have carried out the repairs and masonry specialist works. All the companies are locally based.
Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet member for Housing, Cooperative Development and Communities, said:
“We’ve been doing a lot of work to make sure buildings in the city centre are the best they can be.
“This is one of the few buildings to survive the Blitz. It has a lot of history and is held in a lot of affection by the people of Plymouth. We need to look after it and make sure it is ready for the next 100 years of being at the heart of this city.”
The restoration project costs £750,000 and is being funded through the improvements to the council’s corporate estate pot. As well as a makeover to the outside of this historic building, a huge internal transformation is planned to update facilities to attract more people to events, gigs and concerts at the venue.
Work was due to start this month, but it has been delayed slightly for more detailed discussions with companies that have submitted bids to do the work. It is now not expected to start until the new year.
