A 13th Century statue at a former Nottinghamshire abbey has been restored and placed back on display.
The Virgin and Child statue at Newstead Abbey had been damaged by extreme weathering over the centuries. It was restored during the abbey's Adopt-a-Stone Appeal and will be returned to a niche in the West Front. The statue of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus was in fragile condition when it was removed from the front of the abbey earlier this year. General manager Gillian Crawley said: "The cumulative effective of acid rain, freeze-thawing, vegetation growth and salt deposits had begun to wreak destruction." Newstead Abbey was home to poet Lord Byron who died in 1824.
The restoration work included making the stonework and mortar more secure and watertight and fixing a fine steel mesh across the niche to protect the statue from more damage.
The 333-acre estate was given to Nottingham City Council in trust in 1931.
The Virgin and Child statue at Newstead Abbey had been damaged by extreme weathering over the centuries. It was restored during the abbey's Adopt-a-Stone Appeal and will be returned to a niche in the West Front. The statue of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus was in fragile condition when it was removed from the front of the abbey earlier this year. General manager Gillian Crawley said: "The cumulative effective of acid rain, freeze-thawing, vegetation growth and salt deposits had begun to wreak destruction." Newstead Abbey was home to poet Lord Byron who died in 1824.
The restoration work included making the stonework and mortar more secure and watertight and fixing a fine steel mesh across the niche to protect the statue from more damage.
The 333-acre estate was given to Nottingham City Council in trust in 1931.
(BBC News - 10 December 2006)
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