Showstopping Skylight in Southport at the Prince of Wales Hotel

Over the past few months, we have been working on a large restoration project for The Prince of Wales Hotel in Southport.
It is a grade II listed building, located not far from the seafront, and was constructed in 1877. Over the years it has welcomed the likes of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, as well as playing host to many a prestigious event.

Our work takes place in the hotel’s very grand looking Bamber Ballroom. It is packed with Victorian features and most importantly, has an original stained glass skylight. The glass ceiling consists of 44 individual panels, which were, unfortunately, in a state of disrepair.

Our team removed the panels and brought them back to our workshop where, one by one, the panels were carefully dismantled. Then each piece of glass was painstakingly cleaned of dirt and debris or replaced if broken, then reconstructed using new lead came. This process was completed over a few months and then came time for installation.

You might think that stained glass fitting is not what you would consider a high octane sport, but take a look at some of our photos and you will find yourselves mistaken!
The fitting of these panels took quite the logistical operation, with harnesses, ropes and a hoist system to elevate the windows into place. I think we can all agree, our excellent team deserves a round of applause for a seamless execution of a rather challenging project.

We feel extremely privileged to be undertaking this work on such a historic building, when so many others like it face a lack of funding and become derelict. How fantastic it is to be able to conserve history, and extend the longevity of this beautiful glass ceiling, which will, hopefully, last another 150 years.
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We’d like to extend a special thanks to Naomi Kane for her help and fantastic photographs