Photo: Ant Mercer

The main external staircase leading up to the Ashton Memorial in Williamson Park, Lancaster, is to be temporarily closed to the public, to enable maintenance works to take place.

Damage to the steps was reported last month and Lancaster City Council immediately restricted access – but the cause of the damage has yet to be identified. They said then that they had commissioned some experts who would be surveying the steps to determine the cause.

In a statement, the Council told virtual-lancaster the Ashton Memorial was opened in 1909 and, like any building of its age, needs to be carefully maintained.

 

The works will require a number of steps at the lower section of the staircase to be removed. An inspection to assess the condition of the upper section of steps will also be carried out in the next few days as part of the works.

Until the inspections and works are complete, access to the steps will be closed to the public.