Building conservation specialists will begin work later this week on phase one of the reconstruction of the giant ‘Jigsaw’ that is Sandiway’s historic Round Tower.
Grosvenor Construction Company’s craftman will re-create the Sandiway landmark piece by piece, course by course, at the company’s HQ in Kinmel Bay…. before returning it to its Cheshire home.
Over 450 blocks of sandstone weighing around 15 tonnes, will be used in the painstaking reconstruction of the Gothic Lodge, and dismantled in November, last year, after being hit by a car.
Grosvenor Construction take delivery of the original sandstone and begin to assess how much new stone needs to be cut and shaped to replace damaged parts of the Grade II-listed structure.
Guided by details of the original, discovered by Cheshire archivists, they will complete each course before transporting it in numbered blocks to begin phase 2 of the project – for assembly of the tower on its original site alongside the A556, early in the New Year.
Grosvenor’s craftsmen have worked on a wide range of conservation projects including a Welsh Long House for a BBC TV series, Denbigh and Rhuddlan Castle’s, Chester’s Roman Walls and Tower’s and the city’s 12th century St. John’s Church.
Said Director Rory Moore: “The Round Tower will certainly present a different sort of challenge – but a challenge which we look forward to meeting.
“We have been made well aware of how much the Round Tower means to the local community and to re-instate such a historic landmark to its original site will give us tremendous satisfaction.”
Added Mr Moore: “Over the years, we have restored and conserved many historic buildings and structures – the emphasis has mainly been on conservation of building remains so the opportunity to carry out the complete restoration of this landmark back to its former glory is greatly welcomed.
Said local Councillor Charles Fifield, a chartered surveyor: “It was clear following the initial meeting on site with the contractor that it would simply not be possible to finish the works before the Christmas and New Year.
“Whilst residents may be disappointed that work on site will now not begin until the New Year, much of the stone preparation and planning will be completed by that time.
“The ‘jigsaw’ method of construction will also thankfully prevent traffic disruption on one of the Borough’s major arterial roads due to lane closures during the busy holiday period.”
Councillor Fifield said that the ‘jigsaw’ construction method would allow the council to monitor progress and provide regular reports to the community.
Following last year’s collision, the Council recovered as much of the original stonework as possible, but it soon became evident that some sections of the 19th century building would need replacing – particularly on the East side which bore the main brunt of the impact.
The project, which has attracted interest across the country, has needed planning and listed building consent from CWAC and permission from The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
Built by Thomas Cholmondeley, later Baron Delamere, in the first decade of the 19th century, the crenulated Round Tower was marooned by the construction of the A556 in the late 1930s.
At that time, demolition was proposed, and although an adjoining square building – which formed part of the former lodge keeper’s home – was taken down, a local campaign saved the tower, which was listed in 1986.
