 £12,500 Required To Fix Burgess Hill's War Memorial
9th November 2016
By Peter Chapman
Burgess Hill's War Memorial has seen better days, and according to a survey from a specialist, it's going to take £12,500 to bring it back into tip top shape.
The outline recommendation in the report is that that the War Memorial undergo a programme of conservation treatment in order to stabilise some of its deteriorating components and improve its appearance.
BHTC are hopeful of receiving grant funding to pay for 75% of the work.
The main issue is that the St George and the Dragon statue on top of the memorial is currently leaning at a 12 degree angle at the base and is in danger of toppling over!
The sculpture will need to be removed from the stone column so that the internal armature can be treated and stabilised, this may require some replacement parts.
The stonework requires specialist cleaning and repointing.
The bronze dedication plaques require cleaning to remove dirt and copper sulphate corrosion deposits. The plaques also need a new way of being attached to the memorial in order to avoid being stolen by scrap metal scavengers.
The memorial garden gates are excessively rotten and it's been recommended that they are replaced with new gates made from English Oak that is FSC certified, to exactly match the originals.
Facts about the Burgess Hill War Memorial
It was officially unveiled on 11 November 1923 to mark the anniversary Armistice Day.
The Memorial was designed by Walter Ernest Tower. Born in Earl Shilton in 1873.
The figure of St George and the Dragon, sitting on top of the Memorial column, was designed by William Drinkwater Gough.
The bronze figure of George and the Dragon was cast by Broad Salmon & Co Ltd of London. They are perhaps most well known for casting the statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus in central London.
After the Second World War, two black granite memorial stones were erected in the Garden to record the names of those local men and women who had lost their lives between 1939 - 45
Spread the word, £12,500 is required to restore the Burgess Hill War Memorial
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 Got an opinion on this story? Leave a comment below.....
Should the council pay £12,500 to restore the War Memorial even if grants can't be obtained?
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