More pieces of stone fall from Lord Hill statue in Shrewsbury
Shropshire's 199-year-old Lord Hill statue in Shrewsbury may have to be covered up with netting after further debris fell off the statue in high winds.
Several small pieces of stone fell off the statue on Wednesday, with some landing outside the safety fencing that surrounds it.
A section of the 17ft statue's left hand fell to the ground last April, and the 133ft tall, Grade II-listed column, outside Shirehall, has been fenced off ever since.
The exclusion zone was extended in December after another piece of stone dropped off the statue and landed outside fencing.
The perimeter cannot be extended any further to protect passers-by, meaning other options are now being considered, including the possibility of putting up netting. Structural engineers are to examine the statue on Monday morning.
A spokesman for Shropshire Council said: "Engineers will go up in a cherry picker to inspect the current condition of the statue and to decide if any action is needed to help prevent further debris falling to the ground, including the possibility of covering the statue in netting.
"The base of the column is currently surrounded by safety fencing after pieces of stone fell from the statue last April and again in December.
"However, as the perimeter of the fencing can't be further extended, other options are now being considered to help protect passers-by."
An inspection of the statue was carried out in November, with English Heritage now considering whether the statue can be repaired or replaced with a replica.
Rob Wagstaffe, property service manager at Shropshire Council, said: "Lord Hill famously fought in a number of battles, but his biggest enemy at the moment is the weather. In the past few months heavy rain, frost and now wind have caused pieces to break off the statue.
"Our priority is to ensure the safety of people passing by the column so we've called in structural engineers to carry out a further assessment of the statue and to offer their professional advice about what action can be taken."
The first stone for the column was laid on December 27, 1814, on the festival of St John the Evangelist, with the final one laid in June 1816.
The Right Honourable Rowland Lord Hill, of Hawkstone and Hardwick Grange, was commander-in-chief of the British Army and fought alongside the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo.
