Restoration of the Marlow Obelisk postponed until Spring 2018
The Marlow Obelisk. (Archive picture)
Restoration work on the Marlow obelisk has been postponed until Spring 2018.
Transport for Buckinghamshire had been planning to carry out restoration work on the Marlow Obelisk, which stands in the Market Square at the end of the High Street in October 2017 however these works have now been postponed.
Initially the works were planned to erect scaffolding in the centre of the roundabout to undertake these specialist works in a safe manner, which would have necessitated temporary traffic management 24-hours a day throughout the course of the works.
However practical concerns have been raised about this approach and other logistical alternatives are now being explored in order to keep disruption to a minimum, particularly during the busy Christmas period.
Mark Shaw, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Transportation at Buckinghamshire County Council supported the decision to postpone the work and said: ‘TfB remains dedicated to completing the restoration of the obelisk in the shortest time possible and with the least disruption to the local area, which means it is now necessary to rethink the planning of the restoration and traffic management. It is hoped a new date will be set for Spring 2018.‘
The Marlow Obelisk is a historic landmark located at the centre of the roundabout at the top of the High Street. Erected in 1822, the obelisk was originally used by travelling coaches as a way point marker. Over time the obelisk has begun to deteriorate. In more recent years the deterioration has led to whole sections of the stone lettering breaking away.
