Wells Cathedral Stonemasons

WELLS CATHEDRAL STONEMASONS WINS ARCHITECTURAL AWARD

Somerset based stonemasons have won an award from the Georgian Group for their restoration of a Palladian bridge at Ranston Park in Dorset.

Wells Cathedral Stonemasons has won an award in the annual Georgian Group Architectural Awards. The West Country stonemasons, together with client James Gibson Fleming, won the ‘Restoration of a Georgian garden or landscape‘ category at this years‘ ceremony.

The award presented by His Royal Highness, The Duke of Kent, recognises exemplary conservation and restoration projects.

Ranston Park in Iwerne Courtenay, Dorset was originally built in 1753. The landscaped grounds fell into disrepair in the 20th Century, and Wells Cathedral Stonemasons worked to rebuild and restore the abandoned Palladian bridge, which had been badly damaged by tree growth.

The work included cleaning and repairing the bridge, replacing badly damaged stone and re-pointing the bridge.

The Georgian Group commended the architect and Wells Cathedral Stonemasons saying that the restoration had been comprehensively and beautifully executed with impressive attention to detail.

“It has been very satisfying to restore the park at Ranston House to its former glory,” said Peter Arkell, Managing Director of Wells Cathedral Stonemasons.

“I was actually following in my Father‘s footsteps: he worked at Ranston House in the 1960s as a chartered surveyor, helping to restore the house. At that time the bridge was totally obscured by tree growth and we barely knew it was there. Now you can see the bridge from the house, just as it was intended.”

Wells Cathedral Stonemasons was formed in 1984 following the restoration and conservation of the west front of Wells Cathedral. The firm is now one of the country‘s leading specialists in stonework, providing a wide range of stonemasonry goods and services to the construction, restoration and conservation industries.

END 13th December 2006

For further information please contact Claire Sneddon, Sturgess Van Damme, on 01275 349011 or email Claire@sturgessvandamme.co.uk