AN insight into life in Warrington around 100 years ago has been uncovered during the ongoing renovation works being carried out to the town’s cenotaph on Bridge Foot.
During the removal of the lower section of the cenotaph, two time capsules were found!
Unfortunately one of these had suffered extreme water damage and was beyond salvage, however the second time capsule was in very good condition.
Items recovered include two local newspapers dated 10th of October 1925, along with two Chamber of Commerce Year Books dating back to 1917 and 1918, along with old one pence pieces and a tram token.
A spokesperson for the Cenotaph project team said: “The contents will be shared publicly very soon with the project team working with other sections and the museum to investigate how and where these can be displayed.”
Meanwhile all of the stonework, including plaques and the actual cenotaph monument have now been removed to a safe storage location.
Works have now started on constructing the sheet piles to the river bank in order to carry out stabilisation of the area.
Removal of the Cenotaph monument is required in order to complete piling to stabilise the river bank. The scheme is expected to be completed for Remembrance Day 2019.
The objective is to structurally improve the supporting river bank and wall that’s situated to the north of the Cenotaph.
The scheme also involves upgrading the appearance around the monument, including improvements to paving, lighting and general access.
The scheme is being delivered on a design and build basis by contractors Balfour Beatty through the Scape Civil Engineering and Infrastructure Framework.
Balfour Beatty has engaged with the consultants Ramboll Ltd who have a specialist team of professionals with experience in delivering high profile heritage projects.
The Cenotaph is a Grade II listed monument and is part of the Bridge Street Conservation Area. Listed Building Consent and planning permission were required for the improvement works to take place.
The budget for the scheme is anticipated to be around £1.1m, which will be refined as the project develops. All expenditure is subject to Executive Board approval.
