Restoration Restarts

Work has re-commenced on our project to restore a number of damaged and leaning memorials using funds from the Society’s capital reserve. The main area chosen for this work is St David's Avenue, adjacent to the church of the St Edward Brotherhood.

Working on the grave of Francis Arthur Vincent (died 1905). Click here for more pictures showing the full restoration of this grave.

Restoration will comprise general clearance around the chosen memorials, repair to broken memorials, and re-erection of memorials which have fallen or are leaning badly. This may involve the removal of the memorial, followed by construction of a new concrete base and the re-instatement of the memorial. Finally stone or wood-bark chippings will be laid over a rubber or plastic sheet within the memorial kerbing as a finishing touch. No cleaning of the memorial stones will be carried out as it is felt that this would not be in character with their age. When the work is completed it is hoped that Society members will volunteer to ‘adopt a grave’ and carry out general tidying up duties around the restored memorials in order to keep them ‘at their best’. The purpose of this project is not only to restore the memorials, but also to demonstrate to members and others that the Society is using its funds wisely.

Work in this area has also seen the restoration of the memorial to Horatia Nelson Johnson.

If you are interested in becoming involved with this project please contact Margaret Hobbs, 75 Ranelagh Crescent, Ascot, Berks SL5 8LQ, or telephone (01344) 891041.

Details of other monuments under consideration for restoration may be seen here. It is possible that in the future we may wish to apply for Heritage Fund support for larger scale restoration work and the Committee see this work as a first step in that process.

Please note there is another set of pages devoted some of the famous and interesting people buried in the cemetery

Photograph © Margaret Hobbs