Central Tower, Wells Cathedral

The central tower at Wells Cathedral was completely cleaned, using pressure and mist washing. Once this had been done, the whole structure was surveyed, stone by stone, and the amount of stone replacement and conservation was decided upon. The majority of the 600 or so new stones were made from the local limestone, Doulting (the original building material), except for the tower crown; these were replaced using the more resilient Clipsham stone. Any stone needing consolidation was repaired by one of our skilled conservators using a variety of techniques. Very especial care was needed for the eight 15th century statues in the niches at the top of the tower. The whole tower was shelter coated.