Why this project?

When Cardinal Wolsey began constructing his magnificent palace on the Thames in the 16th century, he chose to build in fashionable and expensive red brick, rather than stone.

The huge, gold astronomical clock was later installed by Henry VIII and remains one of the most significant late medieval clocks in Europe.

The Anne Boleyn Gatehouse is one of the best preserved Tudor gatehouses in the country.

Scheduled project works

Timings: July 2007 - May 2008

Issues to address:
• Previous brickwork repairs in the 19th century, including re-pointing the brickwork in a hard mortar containing black ash, mean that the building cannot ‘breathe’
• Areas of paint and gilding are flaking off the surface of the astronomical clock dials

Scheduled works:
• Removing of the black ash mortar and re-pointing in a softer lime mortar
• Replacing bricks with ones that have been handmade in the traditional manner
• Dismantling and restoring the astronomical clock mechanism and dials