Plan to renovate Wallace’s statue
Sculpture has been in place for over 100 years
A key feature of the Wallace Monument requires ‘potentially significant’ restoration work costing more than £200,000.
Stirling Council has submitted a listed building application for work on the 14ft bronze statue of William Wallace which stands 30ft above the ground on the west elevation of the Abbey Craig tower.
An inspection of the statue was carried out in October last year from a hydraulic platform and it found, among other things, surface decay and erosion and internal corrosion.
A bronze anchor bolt is also missing and water penetration is occurring as a result. The statue’s renovation is expected to cost £208,000.
In a condition survey lodged with the application, Professor David Mitchell, Historic Environment Scotland, said the statue had been a fixture for around 100 years.
‘It is probably the most exposed bronze statue in the country. It requires some potentially significant intervention which cannot be undertaken in situ to resolve structural issues,’ he added.
A ‘significant’ structural fracture on the leading leg of the statue was also highlighted in Professor Mitchell’s survey which he describes as ‘a relatively recent and concerning failure.’
He adds: ‘This is an unusual failure to see and suggests something significant has happened. It is unlikely to promote catastrophic failure in the short term. No immediate action needs to be taken, but the repair of this element needs to be undertaken within the next 12 to 18 months and monitored proactively.’
A 16-week programme of works will be agreed before work commences and – due to the monument’s 150th anniversary celebrations – these will be completed and the site cleared by an agreed date next year.
A supporting document lodged
This is an unusual failure to see No immediate action needs to be taken
with the application by Industrial Heritage Consulting Ltd points out that detailing on the Wallace statue ‘is superb in its intricacy, making its restoration challenging.’
The monument was designed by Glasgow architect John Thomas Rochead and built between 1861 and 1869 at a cost of £18,000.
The Wallace statue was a later addition to the building. It was made by Edinburgh sculptor David Watson Stephenson (1842-1904) following a competition. It is Stephenson’s best known work, which also includes figures of Mary Queen of Scots and James VI on the Scott Monument in Edinburgh.
The 220ft-high tower was designed and constructed following a fundraising campaign which accompanied a resurgence of Scottish national identity in the 19th century.
The campaign included contributions from members of the public and a number of foreign donors including the Italian national leader Guiseppe Garibaldi.
Charity Stirling District Tourism runs the national monument. Its chairperson Zillah Jamieson said: “The bronze William Wallace statue has been an iconic feature of The National Wallace Monument since it was first unveiled in 1887.
“The required maintenance was identified in Stirling Council’s conservation report and we are pleased to see the restoration work commence, ensuring that the muchloved statue can remain on the monument for years to come.”