Stewart memorial fountain, switched on.

Stewart Memorial Foutain, image from BBC website

The A-listed fountain is located in Kelvingrove Park and was built in 1872 to commemorate Robert Stewart, the city’s Lord Provost from 1851 to 1854, who fought for Glasgow’s clean water system.

BGS Building Stone Team provided a stone match for the Stewart memorial fountain in spring 2009 which identified suitable stone types for its refurbishment. The original stone used in the fountain was most likely from a high quality local Glasgow blonde sandstone quarry (i.e. Bishopbriggs or Giffnock quarries); however, all of these quarries are currently closed and a suitable alternative match had to be identified for new replacement stone.

The fountain was turned on last week and can be visited in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow.

Water flows in memorial fountain
BBC article, 14 October 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8305572.stm

Monumental £¾m boost will spruce up Edinburgh's landmarks

Edinburgh World Heritage wins £780,000 from the City of Edinburgh Council to help pay for refurbishment and conservation projects. The Building Stone Team at BGS has been involved in a number of building stone assessments for EWH projects, including the National Monument, Burns Monument, and Nelsons Monuments on Calton Hill, as well as the recently completed Shandwick Place and Well Court, and buildings on Nicolson Street and Dundonald Street, to name a few. Building stone assessments play an important role in the refurbishment of Edinburgh’s world heritage sites...

Article in Scotsman, 16 February 2009
by Brian Ferguson
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Monumental--m-boost-.4982653.jp

Landward Broadcast, 04 May 2008

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/player/?item=44534693&size=vt100

A series of short features looking into Scottish indigenous stone, how it is formed, where it comes from, how it was quarried and how it has been used to build our nation (and others). In this episode of Stone Strand, featuring Ewan Hyslop, Euan McIlwraith explains the importance behind Caithness Flagstone, Kemnay Granite and Cullaloe Sandstone.

Landward, broadcast 04 May 08.

Historic Scotland carves up cash from lottery

Image from Historic Scotland Website

Conservation training grants announced
7 October 2009

More training opportunities in masonry conservation are to be offered in Scotland thanks to additional funding announced by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

In addition to the 14 year long and 50 short term training opportunities that will be available through the bursary programme, Historic Scotland is also providing training grants in other conservation skills of up to £2,000.

Culture Minister Michael Russell said: “It is especially important that at a time like this, support is given to ensure training continues. Scotland has been a world leader in design, engineering and traditional skills for generations and these grants and bursaries will give people the opportunity to learn the skills to maintain and conserve our outstanding architectural landscape.”

The HLF award of £436,800 follows on from the successful £1m bursary programme established in partnership with Historic Scotland in 2004 which has seen 16 full time and 40 short term trainees study masonry work and take up placements all over Scotland.

The Minister added: “I have been fortunate enough to meet some of the trainees who have already completed the programme and was struck by the passion that they have, both for working on historic buildings and learning the traditional skills that they would not normally have had the opportunity to study.”

The new technical conservation grant created by Historic Scotland will give financial support to those looking for training in traditional skills areas other than masonry.

For more information on both the bursary programme and the technical conservation grants please visit:

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/news/index/heritage/conservation/conservation-training-and-skills-development.htm

or telephone 0131 668 8947.

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/news/news_article.htm?articleid=25522