AN historic Southampton building believed to have been built 700 years ago has been restored.
Weigh House on French Street in the city’s old town has been undergoing repairs since the end of last year as part of a £6.7m project to revamp the city’s monuments.
Believed to date back to the 13th century, the building was once filled with equipment to weigh goods, such as food and wool, being transported in and out of the city.
As part of the work, the Southampton City Council has removed all the hard cement mortar and replaced it with lime mortar, a more traditional material that is more “compatible” with the stone.
READ MORE: Restoration works underway at Weigh House in Southampton
The walls of the building have been stabilised by replacing the wrought iron anchors with a stainless steel Cintec anchor system.
The windows and some of the stonework has been replaced.
And the top of the walls have been capped with turf containing a wildflower mix in a bid to protect them from decaying in future.
Leader of the council, Cllr Satvir Kaur, said: “As a council we are committed to Southampton’s heritage.
“It’s why we have a program of repairs and conservation for heritage sites across our great city.
“Southampton City Council has been working with specialist contractors so we can bring the Weigh House back into public use which includes access to the neighbouring vault which hasn’t been open since 2016.”
News of Weigh House’s completion was shared by the city council in a video on social media.
The building was previously restored in 1936 and became the school hall for the next door St John’s School, but was later damaged after being hit by a bomb during WW2.
Only the shell of the building survived the blast, with its ancient oak roof being destroyed.
The work was funded by the council and carried out by Chichester Stoneworks Ltd.
Other monuments benefitting from the scheme to maintain the city’s heritage sites are The Bargate, Town Walls, Castle Bailey Wall North, Castle Eastgate and William Nichol Tower.
Cllr Kaur added: “We want to build on the legacy of bidding for UK City of Culture and create a place where people want to live, visit and enjoy.
“We know that protecting our heritage and telling Southampton’s story is an important part of that.
“Making Southampton a place where people want to explore whether you’re a visitor or a local resident.”
A message from the Editor
Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo.
Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website.
You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more.
Don't just take my word for it - subscribe today.
Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by searching Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents on Facebook
Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated group by searching Hampshire Court and Crime News on Facebook
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel