Lindisfarne and Laing get the ‘Stone’ treatment
A specialist Darlington company has recently secured contracts to ensure that two of the North East’s most popular tourist attractions are constantly preserved for future generations to enjoy.
Stone Technical Services, who specialise in high level repair, maintenance and restoration, was engaged by Newcastle City Council to carry out a range of repairs at the Laing Art Gallery, including a full site roof survey to assess the long term maintenance requirements, repairs due to water-logging, rope access to remove vegetation from the dome, renewal of side door to provide access for large exhibits and protective netting for loose masonry which is also being restored.
The city centre gallery dates back to 1901 and is home to a large collection of art and sculpture, making it an important part of the city’s history.
Up in Northumberland at Lindisfarne, Stone’s restoration experts have been carrying out a maintenance survey for the National Trust to allow for a budgeted program of maintenance works to cost effectively deal with the external envelope and masonry, built on whinstone rock.
Stone’s team has experience of both the Laing Art Gallery and Lindisfarne having previously carried out masonry repairs at the gallery and improvement and preservation works at Lindisfarne.
Stone Technical Services has grown to be one of the UK’s leading preservation and restoration businesses with offices in Darlington, Middlesex and central London. The company now employs a team of 26 and plans to continually grow its workforce and open new regional offices in the coming year.
Stone specialises in all aspects of high level maintenance, lightning conductor installation and steeplejack services as well as restoration and masonry refurbishment projects on churches, museums, clock towers, castles, spires and historic buildings.
The company works all over the UK on a variety of high profile buildings such as St Paul’s Cathedral and the Royal Courts of Justice in London and for organisations such as English Heritage and the National Trust as well as for well known industrial clients such as INEOS Plant Utilities and Teesside Power Station.
Managing director, Dave Stone said: “Carrying out any type of work on such prominent attractions as the Laing Art Gallery and Lindisfarne requires a huge amount of sensitivity and specific experience. Our team has completed projects for both landmarks in the past so was well equipped to carry out this recent round of work to make sure that both the gallery and Lindisfarne can be enjoyed by many more generations to come.”
