The restoration of one of the iconic stone lions at Weelsby Woods has now been completed.
Carved in 1876, the lions are 149 years old and have stood guard outside Weelsby Woods since 1951.
One of the lions previously underwent a £10,000 restoration, funded by the Friends of Weelsby Woods community group, after it suffered severe damage during a police chase. The repair, carried out at Lincoln Cathedral’s stonemasonry workshop, returned the statue to its former glory.
The group noted that by 2006, the original faces of the lions had begun to show significant erosion. With the first lion restored, calls grew to give the second sculpture a matching facelift.
North East Lincolnshire Council agreed to fund the restoration of the second lion.
Earlier this week, the refreshed sculpture was officially unveiled by the Mayor of North East Lincolnshire, Councillor Steve Beasant. The work, completed by Stuart and Paul from Booths Stonemasonry, has now brought the project to a successful close.
A spokesperson for the Friends of Weelsby Woods group wrote: “We think lion is magnificent, and we love that the brothers are twins again! We can not sing Booths Stonemasonry’s praises highly enough! Paul and Stuart are incredibly skilled artists, with talent and incredible attention to detail!”
(Image: Friends of Weelsby Woods)
Part of the Gi Grimsby News team since 2020.