A white and coloured marble memorial (83in x 41in) with a central white marble inscription tablet set on a grey marble shouldered surround with mounted decorative foliage carving. A yellow veneered marble frieze runs behind the top of the tablet with a stepped moulded cornice above. The memorial rests on a narrow plain shelf, a framed apron with shaped bottom edge and a moulded corbel beneath. Attributed to Tyley of Colerne.

Conservation work

All loose elements were carefully removed and where this was not possible they were secured using eltolene tissue adhered with a P.V.A solution. Then the render around the monument was chiselled away to expose the whereabouts of the iron fixings that held the backing panel and marble to the wall. Two were found at the top of the obelisk and one on each side of it (although more fixing holes did exist). These were then carefully chiselled and drilled out whilst the memorial was supported. Once free, the obelisk was lifted onto the working platform where the loose marble elements were re-bedded with casting plaster and cleaned using V&A solution applied with cotton wool or denture brushes in the more stubborn areas of dirt and paint splashes. Any areas where the marble had been lost completely were repaired with plaster and painted using acrylic paints to match the orange veined surrounding. The rest of the memorial was carefully dismantled removing any ferrous fixings and cleaning out all fixing holes. Each element was labelled, recorded and cleaned of dirt and bedding plaster. If an element was broken such as the lower marble moulding then it was repaired using epoxy resin and plaster. When the grey panel, which was held by three very rusty cramps was removed it was noted that the corbel had been wedged into a large hole in the masonry with timber boards which had suffered badly from damp and were rotting.

At the start of the rebuild the corbel was wrapped in a damp proof membrane and secured into the wall with stone tile, slate and a hydraulic lime mortar. Then the damp proof membrane was hung against the rubble wall and the lower orange marble panel and white moulding were lifted and cramped into position. The new ‘ S’ shaped cramps were fashioned to suitable lengths from grade 316 stainless steel flat bar or smaller threaded dowel. They were fixed with stone wedges, hydraulic mortar and epoxy resin. Once the resin had set the grey marble panel was lifted and cramped into position. The other elements at this level were then attached. As the weight of the obelisk on the white marble cornice was considerable, a stainless steel corbel was inserted to support it. The obelisk was then lifted into position and cramped to the wall re-using the same cramp holes made a little deeper. The memorial was waxed using a micro crystalline wax and the render was repaired using a hydraulic lime mortar, which was lime washed to match the surrounding wall. Finally, a plaster copy of the missing funerary urn was made, cast from a clay maquette based on old photographs. The missing flowers on the swag were modelled in situ and replaced.

A white marble wall memorial (33in x 41in) on a black marble background supported by a corbel. It is a classic architectural design comprising a rectangular inscription tablet framed with reeded pilasters, a frieze with vitruvian scroll pattern, stepped moulded cornice and a winged triangulated pediment with decorated tympanum. Attributed to Tyley of Bristol.

Conservation work

It was decided to dismantle the memorial to remove any ferrous fixings. Before any work was carried out the vulnerable cracked areas were faced up with P.V.A. and acid free tissue. The memorial was carefully dismantled labelling each piece as it was removed. Each piece was then cleaned of any plaster and ferrous fixings removed. Before re-erecting the memorial the corbel was re-fixed and wedged into the wall with stones and slate. Then a ‘Hypolon’ damp proof membrane was placed between the rendered rubble wall and the limestone backing. New ‘S’ shaped stainless steel cramps were made and used to fix the monument back to the wall. Once fixed, the damp proof membrane was trimmed and the wall rendered in a lime mortar. The memorial was then given a final clean and waxed with a micro crystalline wax. The render was then lime washed to match the surrounding wall.