A north Notts business has helped turn back the ravages of time on one of the most iconic structures in the world.
Universal Coatings (UK) won a contract to work on the restoration of the Elizabeth Tower at Westminster Palace.
The tower is home to Big Ben, the Great Bell which was first struck on September 7, 1859.
The palace, historic home of the British Parliament, is currently in the midst of a huge restoration project which some estimates suggest could end up costing £14 billion and take 20 years to compete.
Matthew Curtis, a director at Universal Coatings, which is based in Misterton, said: “Without doubt the opportunity to be involved in a project the like of “Big Ben” and the Houses of Parliament restoration doesn’t come along very often and brings with it a unique set of challenges that need to be overcome.
“Universal Coatings were commissioned by main contractors Sir Robert McAlpine Special Projects to remove the signs of decay and deterioration to this world- renowned structure that results from being exposed to an urban environment for generations.
“Working at heights of up to 96m, and using environmentally sympathetic techniques to remove many layers of degraded coatings from the structures of the belfry and clock faces we were the first to see the original Prussian blue colour of the numerals and hands of the clock uncovered and worked with our suppliers Sherwin Williams and architects Purcell to match in a modern heavy metal-free and durable formulation.
“As well as our work to the clock and bell tower, we worked closely with Shepley Engineers Ltd to restore the cast iron roof, with individual tiles being removed and catalogued for full traceability before being transported to our Misterton facility for cleaning, repairs, removal of pitting and coating system application prior to being returned and re-installed in their original location.”
