Work to refurbish Builth Wells’ war memorial will resume later this month after a break over the winter
Work on Builth Wells’ war memorial is to resume later this month after a winter break.
Work to restore and refurbish Builth Wells’ war memorial will resume later this month after a break over the winter
Stonemason Jonathan Protheroe of William Protheroe Limited in Llangunllo near Knighton started work on the memorial in August last year.
Town clerk Louise Hammond previously told the town council that the work on the memorial would start again at the end of April.
She said Jonathan would be working on the soldiers on the top of the war memorial.
Mrs Hammond said Jonathan thought this work would take about six weeks and then the memorial will be finished.
She said Jonathan’s earlier work had been of a very high standard and the council was glad to be welcoming him back.
The first phase included Jonathan carrying out work on the sky face as the soldiers are crumbling away and he also cleaned and did some pointing work on the memorial.
He worked on the memorial in blocks, taking out stone blocks which needed work and taking them back to his workshop, carrying out the work and then replacing the blocks.
This memorial was unveiled in July 1924 to commemorate the men of Builth Wells and Llanddewi’r Cwm who had died in the First World War.
The names of those who died in the Second World War were added later.
The figures around the memorial represent the Army, Royal Navy, Mercantile Marine and Royal Air Force.
The memorial was restored in 2019 with help from Heritage Lottery Fund, Cadw and the Powys War Memorials Project.
The memorial is made from three types of stone. The basal steps are locally sourced greywacke - a dark, hard sandstone with a clay matrix. The figures are carved in Portland Stone from the Whit Bed, Dorset. The rest of the monument is of Doulting Stone from Somerset.
William Protheroe Ltd is a family-run business that produces hand-carved stone memorials, plaques and sculptures.
They have been using traditional methods and tools since 1848, bringing out the natural beauty of this material in a way that the use of modern techniques and equipment can never hope to equal.
Members noted and welcomed the news.
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