The Royal Parks – protecting heritage values & assets

28th April 2023

The Royal Parks – protecting heritage values & assets

Stonewest News

Our long-term working collaboration with our clients The Royal Parks and VINCI helps them to provide the best possible care and conservation work, to ensure that the heritage values of the park and its assets are protected now and for future generations.

Covering 5,000 acres of beautiful parkland and incorporating many historically important buildings, statues and memorials, the parks are among the most visited public spaces in the UK, attracting more than 77 million visitors from across the globe each year. Stonewest has undertaken many built heritage conservation projects which have been central to the preservation of each park’s historic assets, ensuring they remain stable and maintained.

Stonewest has assisted The Royal Parks in preparing for a number of significant ceremonial events through planned maintenance projects. Ahead of these events, a variety of works were undertaken, ranging from conservation of the Queen Victoria Memorial including sympathetic cleaning and redecoration, to new paved areas with commemorative inscriptions, and most recently metalwork repairs, partial gilding and redecoration work to Canada Gate at the entrance to The Green Park.

             

On a previous project to upgrade the areas surrounding the Queen Victoria Memorial, Stonewest assisted in the design and installation of a hidden strengthening scheme to the Grade I Listed Portland stone Harbour Wall which forms part of the surrounding gardens.

Stonewest recently conserved and regilded the railings of the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens returning them to their full splendour. As part of this work, we also completed delicate cleaning of the decorative Frieze of Parnassus, the Four Continents, and the landings. Our team have now been instructed to undertake repointing and masonry repairs to the surrounding stonework.

             

Many of the intricate and beautiful fountains and water features within the parks have also been conserved and restored by Stonewest including the Canada Memorial and The Diana Fountain in The Green Park.

In previous years Stonewest completed restoration and maintenance to several of the parks ornate bridges including the Dell Bridge and the Serpentine Bridge which included masonry and metalwork repairs.

The conservation and maintenance required for the parks assets is both varied and broad. The exceptional condition of these assets is a testament to the commitment and dedication delivered by our clients, and we greatly enjoy working with them to deliver this important preservation work for the public enjoyment.

Our Special Works Manager, Carl Nicholas, who delivers many of these prestigious projects for Stonewest said, “The Royal Parks and VINCI teams are an incredible collection of people who are passionate about the parks and the rare and wonderful historic assets that sit within them. The Special Works team and I feel privileged to work in such an idyllic setting, contributing to the estate’s maintenance for future generations to enjoy and experience”.

Most recently, in advance of The Coronation of His Majesty the King on 6th May 2023, Stonewest supported the preparations by undertaking a variety of works, including cleaning, minor repairs, repointing and general maintenance to the white Carrera marble of The Queen Victoria Memorial. We also conserved and re-gilded the Canada Gate which is adjacent to the memorial and provides a grand entrance into The Green Park. Both featured in this video from The Royal Family Channel.