Conservation of the Ring Wall at Wandlebury Country Park
The 18th century ring wall is being conserved for future generations to enjoy. The wall was built to enclose the gardens when Wandlebury was a private estate owned by Lord Godolphin. The gardens were used for growing fruit and vegetables to feed the family and workers, and it also contained a formal garden area. Today the area inside the wall provides habitats for nature and a beautiful place for the public to picnic and relax, however the wall is a surviving reminder of a different age, and is a significant feature at the Park. It is grade II listed.
Conservation work is being undertaken by specialist restorers Ralph & Browne a local company who work all over the country on such projects.
The work will involve working at height on a long stretch of boarded scaffold to remove any damaged coping stones, restore any in good condition and replace any missing coping stones.
Some of the wall has been damaged over time when a coping stone has been lost, resulting in the wall becoming saturated and bricks eroded by water and ice. On these areas the conservation team will need to remove up to 16 brick height to replace the brick as like-for-like as possible. The wall will be rebuilt using lime mortar and the coping stone placed on top.
There are also places where weeds and saplings have taken hold in the wall. These will be removed and damage made good.
The work will take three to four months to complete depending on the weather and how quickly the lime mortar sets.
This important work has only been made possible thanks to the membership fees paid by Cambridge Past, Present & Future supporters and a grant from the government Department of Environment, Farming & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), which is administered by Historic England.
Repairs works on the ring Wall have been taking place for over 25 years, and this final stage of works will complete the restoration.
