The expertise of Brett Landscaping in natural stone was instrumental in helping to restore a historical touchstone in time for the World War One centenary commemorations in November 2014.
Brett Landscaping worked with property design consultancy NPS Group to recondition a 93 year old war memorial in Sutton-on-Hull village located in the West Riding of Yorkshire, in advance of the local community’s remembrance activities.
An important and well-visited part of the local Sutton and Hull community, the sandstone memorial attracts hundreds of visitors a year. With council funding secured, the structure was able to receive a significant amount of renovation, both to improve the stone plaque and ensure better access for a large proportion of visitors with mobility needs.
“While the memorial has been maintained superbly by Sutton-on-Hull’s community, it was in need of improvement in a structural capacity,” explains Howard Thompson, building surveyor at NPS.
“It was agreed that the small gravel surround would benefit from being made larger and more solid, using natural stone slabs to accommodate more visitors and, in particular, those requiring wheelchair access. The planted area around the memorial also needed attention, which we felt would be well addressed with the addition of appropriate kerbs.”
Howard Thompson brought Brett on board in both a supply and advisory capacity, after receiving positive colleague feedback with regard to Brett’s material quality and design input.
“I’d heard good reports about Brett and found the advice we received regarding materials and options, very helpful. I was looking for excellent quality and competitive pricing as well as the right guidance, and am pleased to say have been supplied with all,” Howard confirms.
NPS’s work with Brett resulted in the installation of 140m² of Brett’s Highcroft Diamond Sawn natural stone, chosen for its combination of functionality and aesthetics, and 110 L/M Highcroft Diamond Sawn edgings for the creation of new kerbs to surround the memorial and encase replanted shrubs.
NPS has commended the quality of the materials installed, together with the workmanship of the contractors who laid the stone, heaping particular praise upon the team’s noticeable high standard of expertise.
The project was completed in advance of the memorial service conducted in Sutton-on-Hull on the 9th of November 2014.
The site will be further enhanced with the integration of an inscription within the paved area, together with the introduction of a plaque bearing the names of the region’s war heroes, two of whom received the Victoria Cross.
The improvements have been welcomed by people within the village, many of whom are part of families whose relatives served in the First World War.
