16 July 2007
A monumental makeover – the Monument to close for £4.5m
restoration
The Monument, one of the City of London’s most outstanding
landmarks and visitor attractions, is to close on 30 July for an
18-month programme of improvements and repairs.
The £4.5million project, funded by the City of London
Corporation, will involve the cleaning and repair of the Monument’s
stonework and the re-gilding of its famous golden orb. A
range of new and improved facilities will be created such as a
modified gallery “cage”, new lighting and, for people who do not
want to climb the 311 stairs to the top, there are plans for live
views to be relayed from the gallery to visitors on the
ground. The new facilities will also enable the Monument to
host spectacular firework and laser displays.
Sir Christopher Wren’s flame-topped monument to the Great Fire
of 1666 is the tallest free-standing stone column in the
world. Completed in 1677, The Monument stands 202 ft high and
is positioned 202 ft from the spot in Pudding Lane on which the
Great Fire is believed to have started. Every year, over
100,000 visitors climb the 311 spiral steps to the Monument’s
observation gallery to enjoy unique and exhilarating views across
the Capital.
Repairs to The Monument have been carried out approximately
every hundred years, with work last undertaken in 1888. The
Monument is scheduled to re-open to visitors when the restoration
work is completed in December 2008.
Pauline Halliday, Chief Commoner and Chairman of the City of
London’s City Lands Committee, which is responsible for the
Monument, said: “I am delighted that work will soon be underway to
protect and enhance this historical landmark for current and future
generations of visitors to the City of London”.
The restoration work will be carried out by Cathedral Works
Organisation (Chichester) Ltd, which successfully completed the
relocation of Temple Bar in 2004 for the City of London
Corporation. The consultant architect engaged by the City for
the project is Julian Harrap Architects.
A website will be set up to show work in progress and updated
information about the project at
www.themonument.info.
Ends
Notes to editors
The City of London provides local government services for the
Square Mile, the financial and commercial heart of Britain, and is
committed to maintaining and enhancing the status of the business
City as the world's leading international financial and business
centre through its policies and services. Its responsibilities also
extend far beyond the City boundaries and include management of the
Barbican Centre, Central Criminal Court at the Old Bailey, 10,000
acres of open space including Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest,
three wholesale food markets, as well as acting as the London Port
Health Authority.
Press enquires to Michelle Poole at the City of London:
0207 332 3450 or
email.