Nearly 18 months after an historic wall in the city centre was shored up with scaffolding to prevent it collapsing, it has been rebuilt.
The brick and flint wall close to the Age Concern offices near St Peter’s Church had to be demolished because of its dangerous condition after it was discovered that it could not be repaired.
Delays in starting the restoration resulted from the amount of work which needed to be undertaken including a structural report and ground scans to check on the precise location of graves in the church grounds.
In addition, permissions had to be sought because the wall dates back to the early 1500s.
Some bricks were specially made for the project while many of the original ones were retained in the new structure.
They included one which had a brickmaker’s handprint on it - customarily left of their work by tradesmen in medieval times who could not read or write. That brick has now been put in a prominent spot in the reconstructed wall.
The final phase of the project is the renovation of the courtyard garden and landscaped area beside St Peter’s Street.
Cllr Brian Ellis, the council’s portfolio holder for housing, said: “Rebuilding the wall was a challenging task, but it has been worth the time and effort involved.
“The wall and its surrounds form one of the city’s landmark areas and it is vital that we conserve its historic character. We have done that and I urge people to go and take a look.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here