The Project
The Monument, one of the City of London’s most outstanding landmarks and visitor attractions, closed on 30 July 2007 for an 18-month programme of improvements and repairs.
The £4.5 million project, funded by the City of London Corporation, involved the cleaning and repair of the Monument’s stonework and the re-gilding of it’s famous golden orb. A range of new and improved facilities have been created such as a modified gallery “cage”, new lighting and, for people who do not want to climb the 311 stairs to the top, there are plans for live views to be relayed from the gallery to visitors on the ground.
Sir Christopher Wren’s flame-topped Monument to the Great Fire of 1666 is the tallest isolated stone column in the world. Completed in 1677, The Monument stands 202 ft high and is positioned 202 ft from the spot in Pudding Lane on which the Great Fire is believed to have started. Every year, over 100,000 visitors climb the 311 spiral steps to the Monument’s observation gallery to enjoy unique and exhilarating views across the Capital.
Repairs to The Monument have been carried out approximately every hundred years, with work last undertaken in 1888. The Monument re-opened to visitors in February 2009.
The restoration work was carried out by Cathedral Works Organisation (Chichester) Ltd, which successfully completed the relocation of Temple Bar in 2004 for the City of London Corporation. The consultant architect engaged by the City for the project was Julian Harrap Architects and the structural engineers working for the architects was Hockley and Dawson. Hare & Humphreys Ltd re-gilded the flaming orb, restoring its brilliant shine with the application of over 30,000 leaves of gold.
The restoration was filmed and photographed by Harris Digital Productions, who also set up this website to show work in progress and updated information about the project.
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Last updated:
27 October, 2011