West Tower Masonry Repair Project 2021
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Why repair work is needed
The West Tower of St Mary's Church provides an iconic image that most Purtonians will be familiar with. This 3-storey bell tower was built in the 15th Century and has stood the test of time well over its 500 or so years. However, it is showing its age -
What are we doing
Between September 2021 and February 2022 a contract was let to carry out repairs to the the West tower parapet walls. The parapet work involved partial removal and re-bedding of the capping stones, re-mortaring of open joints and re-bedding of lead flashings. The Diocese of Bristol gave -
Costs and funding
Costs. Our initial estimate for the cost of the West Tower masonry repair project was between £15,000 - £20,000 (excl VAT). This included both the direct work and professional fees. As we near the end of the project (Feb 2022), this estimate has now been reduced to -
Photos - Defect examples
Mortar loss in capping stone bedding making capping unstable Decayed stonework and mortar loss Defective mortar around lead flashing Defective mortar around lead flashing Defective mortar and cracking above lead flashing on chimney Mortar loss/open joints on stair turret wall Mortar loss/open joints on stair turret wall -
Photos - Masonry work in progress
Capping stones removed on W parapet wall Capping stones removed on S parapet wall Capping stones removed on N parapet wall Patch repairs to decayed stonework - example 1 -
Photos - Lead work in progress
New flashing on N wall. As for the other new flashings new chases were cut into the masonry. New flashing on S wall - 1 New flashing on S wall - 2 Detail of SW corner flashing Detail of NE corner flashing Detail of SE corner flashing Cover strip repair - examples -
Photos - completed work
Patch repairs to decayed stonework - Example 2 Gaps in staircase turret wall cleaned out and remortared Patch repairs to decayed stonework on NE pinnacle Repointing of capping stones on W parapet wall Capping stones on N parapet after being removed/rebedded/repointed New lead flashing around SE
