IT has dominated the skyline of Scotland’s biggest city since 1887. But Glasgow University’s belltower will remain shrouded in scaffolding until April as craftsmen continue with major repairs to the fabric of the historic building.

Work on the A-listed structure has been ongoing since last July to rectify a catalogue of issues affecting the tower, which was previously renovated more than 25 years ago.

A team of expert craftsmen, including four stonemasons, three blacksmiths and two pointers, has been working to repair the fabric of the tower, the internal spiral staircase and the bell cradle.

 

David Hasson, the building surveyor who is overseeing the £1.7 million project, said: “The work is currently 80 per cent complete and the programme is due to be finished mid-April.

“The biggest challenge has been dealing with the weather as we’ve had a lot of high winds over the past few months. The scaffolding and the netting has taken quite a battering due to storm damage and it’s put us back by about two weeks.”

Mr Hasson praised the craftsmen who have been working on the UK’s second largest Gothic Revival building after the Houses of Parliament, as it undergoes only its second restoration in 129 years.

“The project has gone pretty well. I have looked after many projects on the main building over the past 15 years and so we know we have tradesmen we can rely on and trust,” he said.

“We have six stonemasons on site and another four carvers preparing the sandstone off site. For the windows there are two or three carpenters working to replace and repair them.

“We also have gilders and painters on site. It is hard to get really good tradesmen working on a project like this, to this standard.

“But there are firms that are still taking on apprentices and training them up in these specialised trades at the moment.”

As it is a listed building, no radical changes can take place without approval from Historic Scotland, but Mr Hasson said it would be difficult for members of the public to see the minimal external repointing and indenting work being carried out.

“To be honest, it’s quite hard to see any of the finished work because the tower is so high up and a lot of the work is internal, such as the new staircase.

“But then, in this line of work, it’s always a good sign if you can’t tell that any work has been done.”

To tie in with the original stonework, conservation experts and Glasgow-based stonemasons Conservation Masonry sourced replacement sandstone from Stanton Moor in Derbyshire. It is the nearest match to the blonde sandstone the tower is built with - the original finer dressed stone came from Rutherglen, while the rougher sandstone came from a quarry at Partick.

Throughout the project, which has been funded by the university itself, the bells have been silenced and will ring again from the end of March.

The three bells, weighing three, one and half a ton, were originally rung by ropes, but will be computer controlled after the restoration – completed by the same company that originally installed them in the 19th century.

Built in 1887, the 278ft high tower completed the main building of Glasgow University that was constructed after the institution moved from its original site on the city’s high street in 1870.

The Gilmorehill campus was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, while the tower’s signature spire was designed by his son, John Oldrid Scott.

Topping the structure are four carvings of eagles each standing around five feet high and four weather vanes measuring 6.5 feet, which have been individually re-gilded with gold leaf as part of the restoration.