Footage has been released showing specialist teams carrying out a full-scale cleansing of the 100-year-old North Eastern Railway War Memorial in York.
Network Rail, which is responsible for the century-old monument, has been working for many months to get permission to remove years of pollution and grime from the tribute to 2,236 railway workers who died during World War One.
After World War Two, a further 15 slate panels were added on the base of the memorial with the names of 551 men who lost their lives between 1939 and 1945.
Working to stringent planning permissions and heritage guidelines, contractors CML and Henley Restoration and Remedials raced to get the memorial clean in time for 2024’s Remembrance events.
Using low pressure but high temperature steam jets, the Portland Stone was delicately cleaned over a seven-day period.
Footage has been released of that process ahead of the annual memorial service on Monday 11 November.
That’s when wreaths will be laid to pay tribute to the fallen North Eastern Railway workers who died between 1914 – 1918 and 1939 – 1945.
Craig Hall, Network Rail senior programme manager, said: “We know how important the North Eastern Railway War Memorial is for people in York and descendants of those whose lives it remembers. Now 100 years old, some of the inscriptions on the soft sandstone has weathered away, and we’ve been extremely mindful that any cleaning work did not do further damage.
“Getting all the necessary permissions, meticulous planning and testing safe cleaning methods in advance has been time consuming, but it was crucial for us, in the monument’s centenary year, to get the cleaning done properly and in time for Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day.”
Matthew Cummins, director at Henley Restorations & Remedials, said: “With the cleaning there’s always such a clearly seen transformation so it is really rewarding. It’s been quite intense over the last couple of weeks to make sure that we get it to the stage it’s at now, in time for the upcoming remembrance events.
“We’re very proud of our input to returning this Grade II listed monument back to looking something like it should, and we’ve had some brilliant feedback and support from local people throughout our work on site.”
Steven Entwistle, CML senior project manager, said: “This is very high-profile prestigious project, which needed to be done within very constrained timescales, and we’ve had some great interactions with the public, including descendants of those whose names are remembered on the memorial, who seem really pleased at how it’s turned out.
“Getting the memorial clean has been something people in York have wanted for a long, long time, and hopefully our work on behalf of Network Rail has done it justice.”
Network Rail has worked closely with York City Council over several years on the plans to restore the monument, which is being carried out in phases.
During this first phase, which represents a £175,000 investment from both Network Rail and the Railway Heritage Trust, repointing work has also been carried out on parts of the historic structure.
Later phases will pay detailed attention to parts of the memorial which have suffered excessive weathering.
Tim Hedley-Jones, director of the Railway Heritage Trust, said: “The Railway Heritage Trust has a proud history of supporting the restoration of railway war memorials. We are pleased to have supported Network Rail to clean and restore the North Eastern Railway War Memorial in York in its centenary year. It is a fitting reminder of the sacrifice so many railway workers made for their country in conflicts in the last hundred years”.
A formal wreath laying ceremony will take place at 11am on Monday 11th November attended by key rail industry figures, veterans, politicians and schoolchildren.
Image credit: Network Rail
