Milestone for restoration of iconic cone as glass dome installed
A glass dome has been added to the iconic Red House Glass Cone in a milestone moment in its restoration.
The half a tonne dome, measuring 1.6m in diameter, was carefully manoeuvred into position to crown the Wordsley landmark and was given a civic seal of approval by the Mayor of Dudley.
The Dudley Council venue's restoration, which is now just months away from completion, will ensure the 18th Century build attraction will be safe for generations.
Mark Jeffs, from the centre, said: "The new glass cap is replacing the previous perspex one which had a huge crack in it. The new glass cap has been specially built to allow air to circulate.
"The main aim of this restoration is to ensure the structure is watertight, the ageing mortar was another problem, but we are all looking forward to it being finished."
In total, £1.5million has been invested in the building to repoint the entire structure from top to bottom, both inside and out, with authentic lime mortar. New cast iron windows have been forged to replace the non historic wooden windows.
Councillor Andrea Goddard, Mayor of Dudley, said: "The cone is iconic; it stands proudly to remind us of its role in the historic glassmaking industry.
“I’m pleased to see that its restoration is nearing completion and that we’ll soon see the external scaffolding come down and the cone returned to its former glory."
A new lift is also being put into place by the visitor centre to allow wheelchair access to the upper level Stuart Gallery with a viewing platform looking in to the remodelled cone.
Although the cone has been closed during the restoration, the site has been open to the public throughout. The cone is expected to open fully to visitors this summer.
Councillor Andrea Goddard, Mayor of Dudley, said: “The cone is iconic; it stands proudly to remind us of its role in the historic glassmaking industry.
“I’m pleased to see that its restoration is nearing completion and that we’ll soon see the external scaffolding come down and the cone returned to its former glory.”
A new lift is also being put into place by the visitor centre to allow wheelchair access to the upper level Stuart Gallery with a viewing platform looking in to the remodelled cone.
Although the cone has been closed during the restoration, the site has been open to the public throughout. The cone is expected to open fully to visitors this summer.
Kate Jones, manager at the Red House Glass Cone, said: “The crowning of the cone today has been a huge milestone in our restoration programme and a welcome sight to all of us involved.
“We’re really proud to have got this far and are now just a matter of months away to fully reopening the cone.”
Internal scaffolding is already in the process of coming down and our Phillips and Curry our contractors will be carrying out the final stages of the programme in the coming weeks.
Entrance to the Cone is free. A range of workshops and activities regularly take place at the Cone, with pricing and details available at the site’s Facebook page (facebook.com/redhousecone)
The Red House Glass Cone is 100 feet high and 60 feet wide at its base. It has operated for more than 150 years and is a Grade II* listed, scheduled ancient monument and was built in between 1788-1794
The council has worked with an accredited historic architect and Historic England to secure the appropriate permission for the sensitive work.