How experts have preserved Southampton's history for the future

Peter is retired now but regularly makes his skills available to the city’s Ancient Monuments Officer as a volunteer.

Peter started work in August 1965 with what was then known as the Ancient Monuments Working Party which was attached to the City Engineer’s Department. Their work was directed by the City Architect and part-funded by the city and the Ministry of Works.

Peter’s specialist masonry skills were learned on the job and by attending a masonry course in Bath. He learned many other building skills while attending Southampton Technical College.

We started our walk in Andrew’s Park where I learned from Peter that the statue of Richard Andrews was once very different.

Andrews was a well-respected local coachbuilder and politician who died in 1859 at the time when the Central Parks were being created.

Rebuilding the walls.

Public subscription raised funds for a statue to his memory which was carved by Benjamin Brain and placed on an ornate plinth with a fountain designed by Philip Brannon.

A crowd of around 4,000 attended the laying of the foundation stone on October 1, 1860.

By 1971 the ornate plinth which had been carved in soft sandstone had started to crumble and there was a risk of the structure collapsing. The plinth was beyond repair and, for safety reasons, was removed.

Peter was given the task of cleaning Andrew’s statue which was then put on a low plinth.

Andrew’s reduced elevation caused great mirth in the town and he became known as Stumpy Dick. He was also vandalised including damage to his nose, so the decision was taken to reconstruct the plinth to raise his statue out of harms way.

The Old Tower Inn.

If you examine his statue today, you will see he has again been given a good clean and his nose repaired.

From the park, we made our way to Arundel Tower by West Quay where Peter explained that there had at one time been an inn built up against the tower which can be seen in many old images.

The building had to be demolished but t was soon realised that the rear brick wall of the inn was supporting the tower and stopping it from collapsing.

Peter and his fellow craftsman were then charged with constructing a concrete stepped structure up against the brick wall to stabilise the tower. This is covered by the grass embankment you see today.

Andrew's statue on its original plinth.

Next we visited a wine vault at the bottom of the High Street by the entrance to Gloucester Square car park.

This interesting vault, with its four-centred arch, needed a waterproof membrane across its top and repointing as part of the vault had been exposed when the raft on which Telephone House sits was constructed in the 1970s. The ground above also had to be reinforced.

Finally, we walked along the Western Esplanade near the Westgate where Peter was able to show me traces of additional arches on the town side of the wall implying that the town had more arches than the 19 currently visible along the waterfront.

The crumbling walls here had been rebuilt in 1968 and at that time evidence of earlier Victorian restoration work was clearly visible.

Arches in the city walls.

Listening to Pete it is evident that our medieval walls and structures, which are such an important part of the city’s heritage, need constant inspection and maintenance if they are to remain an attraction for local people and visitors.

We must ensure they survive for future generations.

Today the city funds this work from its income and it has recently been announced that almost £6 million has been allocated for investment in the city’s heritage sites and just over a further £1 million proposed for restoration work on the city’s many wine vaults.

Godfrey Collyer is a tour guide with SeeSouthampton.co.uk .