May 8, 2013 3.56 pm This story is over 130 months old

Repair works set for Newport Arch in Bailgate

Vital works: Newport Arch in Bailgate will be temporarily closed to pedestrians and traffic during the summer while repair works take place.
Newport arch before the repairs began.

Newport Arch in Bailgate will be temporarily closed to pedestrians and traffic during the summer while vital repair works take place.

The works on the arch and Town Wall will see a specialist stonemason restore parts of the ancient monument after the City of Lincoln Council received a grant of £60,000 through a WREN Heritage Fund.

As previously reported, the work is needed due to damage caused by recent cold winters in addition to general corrosion caused over the years.

The project will be carried out by Robert Woodhead Ltd, who are currently conducting stone repairs on Lincoln Castle.

Work is set to start in June and will take between eight to 12 weeks. This will mean that at certain times pedestrians and vehicles will not be able to pass under the arch due to health and safety restrictions.

When the access way will be closed, the council said it will advertise this in advance.

Vital heritage works

Arthur Ward, Heritage Team Leader at the City Council, said: “Whilst these works may cause some slight disruptions, they are vital to ensure the future of one of the city’s most iconic monuments.

“We have been working closely with English Heritage and WREN on the restorations plans and hope the repairs will help secure the arch’s future for many more years.”

The works on the third century Roman north gateway, which was part re-built in the Medieval period, will see a number of damaged stones replaced and a layer of stonework added to the top to act as protection to the Roman brickwork.

The project is one of the largest restoration projects on the site since May 1964 when a lorry crash caused significant damage to the archway, which is now on the English Heritage Heritage at Risk register.

This is the first in a series of restoration and maintenance projects on the Medieval and Roman walls around the city which will take place over the coming years.

Peter Cox, Managing Director at WREN, said: “We believe it is very important to maintain and protect important historical sites such as the Lincoln Newport Roman Arch.”

“Iconic structures like this are part of the country’s rich history and we must ensure they remain intact for future generations to understand and enjoy.”