For some time the Parish Council have been working on a project to commission protective conservation work to Lambourn’s historic Market Cross.
This has been a complex and at times challenging process but the Parish Council are delighted to confirm that work to the Market Cross is scheduled to take place over three days from Tuesday 29th to Thursday 31st July if weather allows.
During this period a small number of parking spaces in the Market Place will be unavailable to allow the contractor AF Jones suitable vehicle access and workspace.
The Market Cross dates back to 1446 when Lambourn was granted the right to hold a market and is not only grade II* listed but also listed as a Scheduled Monument. This is unusual for a Market Cross and puts it in company with some of the most important and highly protected heritage in the uk.
Work to a Scheduled Monument requires special permission from the Secretary of State. Repairs and conservation works are legally required to be as sympathetic to traditional methods and materials as is reasonable in the modern age and may only be undertaken by qualified specialists.
Structural and Stone Conservator reports commissioned by the Parish Council found the cross itself to be basically sound but recommended that the cross be cleaned, surface cracks resolved to stop water ingress, joints repointed and loose material stabilised where required.
The Parish Council are confident that completion of this project will help the Market Cross to remain an important heritage asset for generations to come.
