Projects
Statue of Sir Charles Palmer
Photo 1 of 20
The Statue of Sir Charles Palmer, fully restored and relocated, facing Jarrow Town Hall - the building he himself opened in 1904.
Photo 2 of 20
The monument to Sir Charles Mark Palmer standing at Jarrow Riverside Park where it had remained for some 35 years since being removed from its original home outside of The Palmer Memorial Hospital in 1982.
Photo 3 of 20
The image shows the missing plaques that were stolen some time ago; one of which depicting a ‘Pitman’ was retrieved from storage.
Photo 4 of 20
Evidence of damage caused to the original steps. These were used to form indents, ensuring a consistent match.
Photo 5 of 20
Following a test lift concerns were raised as to whether or not the base of the statue shown above had been fixed to the large Capping Stone.
Photo 6 of 20
Cutting equipment was used to cut along a previous joint line.
Photo 7 of 20
The section of the base was then carefully removed to expose a number of fixing bolts.
Photo 8 of 20
The core of the base had been previously filled with a high strength cementitious grout which acted as an anchor to the Capping Stone.
Photo 9 of 20
A substantial proportion of the grout was carefully removed to break the connection between the base and the capping stone and reduce the weight of the figure.
Photo 10 of 20
Slings were strategically placed around the figure as in accordance with the lifting plan. The figure was successfully removed from the stone pedestal and taken to storage. The remaining pedestal was dismantled piece by piece.
Photo 11 of 20
The removed section of the base was reconnected and the surface welded to hide the joint line.
Photo 12 of 20
The figure was carefully cleaned using a combination of the Doff System which utilises hot water under pressure, and the Jos System which works on the use of an abrasive medium (Calcite) and water.
Photo 13 of 20
Initial cleaning stages.
Photo 14 of 20
The figure was then re-chemically patinated with a bronzing solution applied by hand and brush and burnished to the patina shown above.
Photo 15 of 20
Following the formation of a reinforced concrete foundation and blockwork plinth, the initial section of the pedestal up to the height of the column bases was assembled at the statue’s new location.
Photo 16 of 20
The capping stone at the base of the cornice is positioned on top of the side panels and internal blockwork core which was provided to add strength and rigidity.
Photo 17 of 20
Slings were strategically placed around the restored figure in anticipation of its lift.
Photo 18 of 20
The figure takes its final descent onto the capping stone at the head of the stone pedestal and is subsequently secured by a bronze holding-down bolt which has been patinated to match the patina of the figure itself.
Photo 19 of 20
The retrieved ‘Pitman’ plaque is restored back to it’s former glory. Further plaques were made, using historical images, to replicate those that had been previously stolen.
Photo 20 of 20
The unveiling ceremony on the 29th June 2007 presided over by Council Leader, Paul Waggot and MP for Jarrow, Steven Hepburn.
The monument depicting Sir Charles Mark Palmer was inaugurated in 1903. It was unveiled by Lady Palmer and pays tribute to the Town’s first Mayor and famous builder of ships. Employing over 10,000 workers at its peak, Palmer’s Shipyard was once the world’s most prolific shipbuilder, launching more than 900 ships of varying types. Amongst other achievements, Palmer revolutionised naval vessels with the introduction of armour-plating, producing over 100 Royal Navy warships some of which saw battle in the Crimean and First World War.
We removed the monument to Sir Charles Palmer from its former home at Jarrow Riverside Park on the 26th April to make way for works to the new £185 million Tyne Tunnel development.
Having been exposed to the elements for a century, the base, pedestal and bronze sculpture had suffered from weathering, discolouration and bird fouling. Sadly the statue had also been vandalised and two bronze panels had been stolen.
We took the monument into storage in order to commence a period of restoration: cleaning the bronze sculpture and removing corrosion before applying a protective coating to safeguard its lustrous appearance for the foreseeable future.
We began to carefully rebuild the statue’s base and pedestal on the 4th June and placed the capping stone in place on Monday 11th, sealing in a time capsule to be found by future generations.
On the 12th the statue was lifted into place. New Coombfield Whitbed Portland Stone steps were subsequently installed, then minor stone repairs, sensitive stone cleaning was undertaken before new and restored plaques were added in time for the statue’s unveiling on the 29th June.
This project was added to our site on 29 June 2007 and is currently filed under Built Heritage .
Project Types
- Bird Control (1)
- Built Heritage (11)
- Concrete Repairs (7)
- Decent Homes (5)
- Non Traditional Housing (5)
- Structural Stabilisation (9)
- Structural Waterproofing (2)
