Restoration
In order to establish a future for the tower, it was identified that a significant amount of repair and restoration work was needed. This was preceded by careful archaeological investigation which revealed that overall the south east corner was in the poorest condition. The stonework overall showed the impact of the fire and many different layers of repair over time; the roof was found to be in need of considerable attention.
The investigation also revealed a number of archaeological ‘finds’ including fragments of old newsprint, latterly analysed to be parts of an issue of ‘The Radio Times’ from 9th March 1934, presumably read and discarded by a tradesman working on a previous repair programme. Work was designed and commissioned by Milton Keynes Council and undertaken in 2015/2016. The lead roof was refitted, stone gables remade and stonework refurbished, with key elements of window heads, tracery and quoins (masonry blocks at the corner of the tower walls that provide strength to the rubble walls.) replaced with new locally sourced stone. The stone was chosen to match existing stone from nearby quarries, some material being sourced from Weston Underwood (Near Olney). The works will ensure that the Magdalene Tower is sound and available as a cultural resource for the next generations to enjoy. |