Keppel’s Column Rotherham GRADE II

Keppel's Column stands at 35ft (115m) tall in an elevated exposed position in the heart of the local community of Rotherham. The Column was designed by architect John Car and built between 1773 and 1780 for Charles Wentworth 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, as a tribute to his friend Admiral Keppel, a Royal Navy Officer to commemorate the honourable acquittal of Admiral Keppel after a court martial for ailing to engage the French in battle in 1778.

The column was closed to the public in the 1960’s it was later taken over by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council in 1981 and placed on the Register of Cultural Heritage in Danger in 1998 due to it being in a derelict state including the internal staircase being in disrepair and the top of the pillar being accessible only by aerial working platforms.

Our works included stabilisation, stonework repairs, design and installation of new capitol, replacement of weathered stone, careful removal of vegetation from the masonry, crack repairs, complete repointing in lime mortar, installation of steel steps, replacement/repair of corroded cast iron balustrades to the capitol, bespoke bird boxes, new roofing, waterproofing, replacement windows, new lightning protection.

We invited pupils from St Bede’s Primary School to visit site and learn about the restoration works and traditional heritage skills.

We are proud that owing to our works Keppel’s Column has now been removed from the At Risk Register and is once again open to the public.

‘Well organised from a contract management point of view with quick responses to pricing variations and resolving issues. Site is well run and organised with activities planned and adhered to within the overall programme. Very Proactive and Responsive’ - Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

‘We are also grateful to all the experts brought in as part of the restoration project. From the contractors have carefully carried out the restoration work and positively engaged with the community along the way. To our specialist architects and structural engineers who have ensured the column didn’t fall when the external banding was removed. Together you have accomplished which many people did not think possible in their lifetime. ‘ – Cllr Sheppard