Prior to Remembrance Sunday, many war memorials around the country are cleaned in preparation for the nation’s solemn services of remembrance.
Background
AGS had been tasked by Lewes Town Council with conducting a sympathetic clean of the bronze statues and stonework of the war memorial situated at the top of Lewes High Street, as well as carrying out minor repairs to the stone and the lettering on the memorial plaques, which needed recutting ahead of their annual Remembrance Sunday procession and service.
The clean prior to the 2024 Remembrance Service was the final stage of a project that had started in 2023. We are always honoured to be considered to carry out this type of cleaning and restoration work, preserving our national memorials for future generations.
The Work
The final clean took place over the course of two nights, working after hours to keep traffic disruption to a minimum. The first task was to apply a poultice to some areas of the memorial, which would draw out Verdigris and staining to the stone. This was carefully covered and left to work for 24 hours.
On the second night the poultice was removed leaving a Verdigris-free surface, the memorial was then cleaned using the Torik steam cleaning system; the low pressure and high heat process removed organic and atmospheric soiling from the stone substrate.
Our experienced team used their long-established knowledge of stone cleaning to complete this final part of the process.
The Result
The cleaning works were carried out sensitively, with the team respectfully moving the flowers and crosses each night for safe-keeping and to ensure they were not damaged, then replacing them in the same positions at the end of each shift.
The council were delighted with the final cleaning result and the respect shown by the team during the works.
Can’t find what you’re looking for?
Help us help you. Get in touch with your query and we will do our best to help.
