The approach to conservation of this highly decorative tower was based on re-establishing the original spirit of Gothic architecture as described by John Ruskin, ‘Its elements are certain mental tendencies of the builders, legibly expressed in it: fancifulness, love of variety, love of richness, and such others…It is not enough that it has the form, if it have not also the power and life.’ The conservation work embraced visual movement, harmony of colour and forms and colour and textural contrasts. The extensive lime mortar repair programme included the red sandstone. A variety of tones of red mortars and sheltercoats were created using colour spectrum techniques to gain the depth of colour required.

An intensive cleaning programme was carried out to remove lichen from the decorative features, using painstaking methods by hand to avoid any damage to the original materials. Repointing and repair using specially prepared lime mortar mixes was then applied to 100% of the ashlar on all four elevations of the tower to recreate the linear aesthetic of the original mortar. The Ham stone and Taunton red sandstone pierced tracery panels of the parapet, the grotesques and gargoyles, the tracery windows and niches on each elevation of the tower were repaired using lime mortars and intricate micro-pinning techniques. Working on the premise that as much of the original stone as possible should be retained, the piecing-in of new stone was only undertaken in isolated areas where the integrity of the original material had diminished to the point where it was beyond rescue. The intricately carved stonework was remodelled where appropriate by hand using lime mortars. Once repaired, all areas were treated with a protective lime sheltercoat to enhance their appearance and prolong their lifespan.

An intensive cleaning programme was carried out to remove lichen from the decorative features, using painstaking methods by hand to avoid any damage to the original materials. Repointing and repair using specially prepared lime mortar mixes was then applied to 100% of the ashlar on all four elevations of the tower to recreate the linear aesthetic of the original mortar. The Ham stone and Taunton red sandstone pierced tracery panels of the parapet, the grotesques and gargoyles, the tracery windows and niches on each elevation of the tower were repaired using lime mortars and intricate micro-pinning techniques. Working on the premise that as much of the original stone as possible should be retained, the piecing-in of new stone was only undertaken in isolated areas where the integrity of the original material had diminished to the point where it was beyond rescue. The intricately carved stonework was remodelled where appropriate by hand using lime mortars. Once repaired, all areas were treated with a protective lime sheltercoat to enhance their appearance and prolong their lifespan. The tower pinnacles were dismantled by hand, allowing the corroded iron and lead fixings to be removed and replaced with materials compatible with and non-damaging to the stonework. The major pinnacles, each standing approximately three metres high and weighing approximately half a ton presented the team with a range of logistical and aesthetic challenges. A system of cintec anchors alongside bespoke fabrications was used to return the overall structural integrity of the pinnacles and parapet. The contract also included the installation of a new lead roof. The West window was also substantially repaired and enhanced by the provision of new stainless steel grilles fitted within the reveal so as not to interrupt the line of the masonry.

''It is a magnificent piece of repair and restoration and your people should be justifiably proud of the work they have done here. Your highly skilled workforce have won a great number of friends here, not only for their undoubted abilities but also for the manner with which they conducted themselves.'' The Reverend Wishart, St Mary the Virgin Bishop’s Lydeard.