WARRINGTON’S iconic Golden Gates may have to be taken down while urgent repairs are carried out to help preserve them for future generations to enjoy.
A comprehensive inspection and survey carried out last year by an independent historic structures specialist found that repair work is needed, due to the deterioration of elements of the wrought iron, which is over a century old.
Now Warrington Borough Council is moving ahead with the next stage of the plans to sensitively restore the iconic gates, which were last taken down in 1978, to carry out repairs which have lasted four decades.
Ramboll – the engineering, design and management consultants appointed by the council to deliver the project to refurbish and repair the gates – has now officially submitted the planning application for the gate’s restoration. The gates have been laser scanned to accurately record their current condition.
Due to the historic nature of the gates – which, along with their associated gate piers and lamps are afforded statutory protection as a Grade II* listed structure – the Council will also need to obtain specific consents from Heritage England, to carry out the work.
Terry O’Neill
Warrington Borough Council Leader, Cllr Terry O’Neill, said: “The golden gates are an iconic symbol of Warrington and a hugely important part of our history and heritage. They are also part of the Grade I listed Town Hall site, which we have a duty to preserve. That’s why we want to take action now to protect their future.
“It’s important to remember that these gates are unique – there are none others like them in the world. Therefore, this will require very complex, technical works.
“This planning application is the next stage of this important project. If it is approved, we can move ahead with identifying a firm with the right expertise – who can provide value for money, and take a conservation-based approach that will ensure our gates remain a much-loved symbol of our civic pride for many years to come.”
As part of this stage of the work, the Council will shortly invite tenders for the restoration project. Following the tender process, recommendations over the award of the contract for the work would be considered by the council’s executive board in early 2018.
Once tenders have been received, the Council’s Executive Board will be in a position to consider the cost and timescales for the project before any decisions are made.
The gates were originally designed as a gift for Queen Victoria but she rejected them after visiting Warrington and was not amused by the sight of a statue of Oliver Cromwell. Then after being displayed at an international exhibition in London in 1862, they were returned to their makers, the Coalbrookdale Company in Ironbridge where they stayed until 1893 when Frederick Monks, a member of Warrington council, saw them on one of his many visits to Ironbridge as the director of Monks Hall Foundry.
Monks decided to offer them as a gift to the council and they officially opened on Warrington Walking Day, June 28, 1895.
