Major conservation work has now finished at Northampton’s oldest Fire Station.
Stonemasons have been working hard to restore part of The Mounts Fire Station façade in time for the stations ninetieth anniversary.
The station was built on the site of an old jail at the Upper Mounts and was originally opened on July 30, 1935.
Experts have been battling with the weather and have spent the past six months painstakingly repairing some of the exterior Bath stone that was used as part of construction in the 1930s.
Among the conservation works, led by the Property department, also included repairs to an original Northampton crest above the fire appliance bay doors.
Andy Luxton, Station Commander at The Mounts Fire Station, said: “The Mounts Fire Station is one of Northampton’s historic listed buildings, so it was crucial that we needed to use a team of highly skilled and qualified experts to restore the façade
“The crews at The Mounts are proud to serve at such a historic building that is centrally located in the town to proactively support the diverse communities in Northampton while being available to respond to emergencies.
“The restoration work ensures that the building continues to take its impressive position flanked by Campbell Square Police Station and The Mounts Baths.”
The Station’s external doors have been freshly decorated and engraved lettering above the bays, which reads ‘Northampton Fire Station’, has also be painted in red to mirror how the wording used to look.
Survey work identified the stone had been damaged by water in the planter above the bays.
Working in consultation with West Northamptonshire Council Conservation Officers, the planters have been kept in place and turned upside down to prevent this happening again.
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone added: “We’ve really appreciated the support of our conservation partners and our fantastic Property team for their attention to detail throughout this entire process.
“I’m so thrilled after several months of restoration that the Bath stone and the castle crest above the bay doors has been brought back to life. The Chief Fire Officer and I both agree that showing out commitment to maintaining our Fire Stations to such a high standard is so important.
“It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to successfully salvage this part of the Fire Service’s heritage and also one of Northampton’s most iconic Grade II buildings for many more years to come.”
