Main Contractor: Linford Construction

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Programme: 80 weeks

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To date, scaffolding Leicester Cathedral remains one of the most prestigious projects undertaken by Scaffold Services, particularly having carried out the extensive works twice within a couple of decades.

 

Whilst “only” 150 years old, the spire of the Cathedral not only looked dated, but some de-laminating of the stones was taking place with potentially fatal consequences. 

It was only once the scaffold was erected that the full extent of stone replacement could be assessed via traditional tapping methods.  Many stones had been cut ‘the wrong way round’ which was the reason for the thin layers that had come away. 

The main purpose of the scaffold was for cleaning stonework, replacing the weathervane support and pigeon-proofing the windows via a 14-lift high scaffold tower on the inside.

None of the 75 tonnes of equipment was supported by the lower roofs; the lower levels were taken generally by cross-walls but on one elevation via pockets in the tower wall.  The upper levels took support from the highest windows. 

It was interesting comparing the design and safety standards with those when we last did this job in 1975.