Isle of Lewis war memorial restoration is completed

Restoration works to the Isle of Lewis’ war memorial have been completed.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) was successful in securing a substantial grant of £132,000 from the War Memorial Trusts, First World War Memorials Programme, for £200,000 of refurbishment proposals.
The War Memorial Trust is based in London but covers the whole of the UK. This grant was the largest award given by the trust from this particular programme.
The project commenced on site in May this year, with the memorial having to be completely covered in an external scaffolding, giving access to all areas of the structure.
The main works undertaken were:
External stonework pointing to all elevations and faces of the memorial, removing the existing pointing and replacing with hydraulic lime/sand mortar.

The war memorial on the Isle of Lewis has been restored

Replacement of 15 slim windows with new timber vented louvres and the replacement of the four nine-pane windows to level four of the memorial.
Replacement and renewal of the top turret roof covering and structural members in code eight lead.
A new upgraded fit for purpose lightning conductors was fitted
The internal work was primarily the removal of existing secondary material – cement render, plaster and paint – and then subsequent repointing of the inner walls with lime/sand mortar.
The significant benefit of this aspect of the works will allow the walls to ‘breathe’ whereas before water and moisture were trapped.
The internal galvanised and steel spiral stair received refurbishment. The two high level doors and the main entrance door were refurbished with the main door being painted in ‘Poppy Red’.
The works were completed as planned by the end of last month.