Tullibody War Memorial Lychgate, Lychgate Road, Tullibody

War memorial conservation:

Tullibody Lychgate

Tullibody · 2016

Our role: Principal contractor
Client: Clackmannanshire Council
Architect: Stephen Newsom
Value: Under £0.5m
Programme: Started November 2015
Scope: Oak repairs and carved ornament, softwood roof repairs, masonry repointing and sandstone indents, oak oil finish, new gates

The lychgate at Tullibody is a war memorial of stone and oak with a tiled roof, standing at the entrance to the village green. Clackmannanshire Council appointed us as principal contractor for its conservation, to the design of architect Stephen Newsom. The works brought together masonry, joinery, carving and roofing, and returned the structure to use as a well kept memorial.

Tullibody War Memorial Lychgate, Lychgate Road, Tullibody — photograph 1

Tullibody War Memorial Lychgate, Lychgate Road, Tullibody — photograph 2

Tullibody War Memorial Lychgate, Lychgate Road, Tullibody — photograph 3

Tullibody War Memorial Lychgate, Lychgate Road, Tullibody — photograph 4

The challenge

The lychgate combined several materials, each with its own problems. The oak frame was blackened and weathered, parts of the softwood roof structure had decayed, the masonry walls were cracked in the pointing and had softened stones, and some of the carved panels and rails were damaged or not original. The condition of the foundations was not known. Because it is a memorial in a public place, the repairs had to be carefully judged to keep as much original fabric as possible, with the design agreed with the architect on site as the true condition was revealed.

Our solution

The works were carried out under a series of architect's instructions as the condition of the structure was exposed. The blackened oak was trial cleaned and then cleaned with soft bronze bristle brushes, and all new and existing oak was finished with a penetrating oil in at least two coats. Decayed roof timbers were replaced like for like in treated softwood, with temporary support to the roof while the work was done. The profiled oak cornice was renewed to match the original profile, oak frieze panels were indented where needed, and non-original intermediate rails were relocated and renewed with newly carved ornament. In the masonry, cracked pointing was cut out and repointed, and softened stones were cut out and indented in new sandstone, with a mortar mix proposed for building and pointing. A trial pit was dug to check the foundations and made good afterwards. New oak gates were fitted to the entrance.