Bill to repair Shrewsbury's landmark Lord Hill statue is revealed - and it won't come cheap

The cost of repairing the Lord Hill statue outside the council's former offices in Shrewsbury could be as much as £150,000, new documents have revealed.

Shropshire Council has issued a tender seeking a heritage specialist to repair the statue outside the former Shirehall building, which has been fenced off since January 2024 after debris fell from it onto the public area below.

The authority says the project to repair the statue will require "extensive maintenance and restoration" from a specialist contractor, with work anticipated to get underway this year.

The release of the tender follows an announcement in April from Shropshire Council that it was working with conservation bodies, including Historic England, on the remedial element of the works, and to ensure that the statue and column is "preserved for future generations".

As part of the scheme of repairs, the left and right hand of the statue will be removed and recast before being re-attached to the statue, which sits 133 feet above ground at the top of Abbey Foregate.

Erected in honour of General Rowland Hill, the column is the highest free-standing Greek Doric column in England and stands 13 feet higher than Nelson's Column in London's Trafalgar Square.

"The statue is constructed of Coade stone and has received many significant repairs over the last 60 years," said the tender document issued by Shropshire Council. Previous repairs undertaken using lime mortar have continually failed and as a result, the repairs specified within this schedule of works will be undertaken in natural Roman cement."

"In addition to the crack and surface repairs to be undertaken in situ, it will also be necessary to remove the left arm and right hand of the statue to make casts in natural Roman cement and reinstate on the statue. The statue is to be repainted upon completion of the repair works."

The base of the column was cordoned off in January 2024 due to the condition of the statue, while events which previously allowed members of the public to climb the column's 172 internal stairs before admiring the views from the top were also suspended.

Since then, Shropshire Council says it has carried out ongoing inspection and monitoring works to determine the extent of required remedial works. 

"Essential repair work is set to be carried out this year to the statue of Lord Hill, which stands on top of The Column," said the council in a statement issued in April.

"In recent times, the base of The Column has been temporarily cordoned off and visitor access restricted due to safety concerns regarding the condition of the statue. The statue in particular has had a number of previous significant repairs and Shropshire Council is now seeking long-term support to replace it, which involves a number of complex considerations.

"The council will ensure minimal disruption to the surrounding area during the work, and the local community is thanked in advance for its support and understanding while these vital repairs are carried out to preserve the Lord Hill statue."

The authority says the successful contractor will also be responsible for the supply and erection of a fully independent scaffolding system to safely allow all the works to take place.

Work on the project is expected to get underway in mid-July, and is anticipated to last just over a year.

The deadline for tender submissions expires on June 13.