Long-awaited restoration of historic Red House Glass Cone begins
Restoration work has begun at one of the Black Country's most recognisable landmarks.
The Red House Glass Cone, Wordsley, has stretched into the sky since its completion in 1794 but has been closed to visitors for two years due to safety reasons.
Dudley Council has pledged £1.5 million towards the repairs which need to be done in conjunction with Historic England to ensure they befit its Grade II listed status.
Crumbling brickwork will be replaced, weeds removed, new ventilation installed and the cone repointed during the project.
However, this week experts created six different mortars which will be added to the cone to find out will survive the winter the best.
Brierley Hill Councillor Adam Davies watched the work begin.
He said: "Preparation works are underway. I am so pleased to confirm that works to prepare the brickwork and install the sample mortars on the Red House Glass Cone are now underway.
"Six sample mortars will be installed over the next week or so ready to be tested for durability and suitability over the winter."
He added: "This will then enable Historic England to give their sign-off next spring on which mortar they think is most appropriate when repairing and restoring our unique Cone – following which, the actual works to repair brickwork, install new ventilation, remove weeds, repoint and restore the Cone can get underway.
"There are a huge amount of hoops to jump through when planning works on such a historically significant structure – so a huge thank you to the team at the Cone for all their hard work getting us this far."
"It's so important that we protect the icons of our local heritage. That's why as soon as I was elected last May, I began working with council officers and the cabinet member for regeneration to make sure we have a firm plan to repair the cone and preserve this unique structure which we are so lucky to have."
Dudley Council cabinet member for leisure services Councillor Simon Phipps added: "We’re very lucky to have such a well-preserved historic monument in our local area, which ties into hundreds of years of history.
"It would be remiss of the council not to make the absolute most of such a wonderfully historic building."
The Red House Glass Cone is 100 feet high and 60 feet wide at its base and is the best preserved of one of only four surviving in the UK. After taking six years to complete glass was made in the cone for 150 years owned by the Stuart family who created some of the finest glassware in the world including several pieces for the Royal family.
The museum is posting updates from the Cone on its social media pages and invited anyone interested in the restoration can go on a guided tour.
For more information about the Red House Glass Cone and book a tour visit dudley.gov.uk/things-to-do/museums/red-house-glass-cone/.
