Obelisk Gatepiers

Designed in the early eighteenth century as a key part of the Earl of Mar's Alloa Tower designed landscape, one of the most important historic landscapes in Scotland, the two Obelisk Gatepiers were once important political symbols. They originally stood at the end of the Earl's grand avenue, forming a gateway to the riverside, but were later moved to embellish the new west gates facing Limetree Walk, in Alloa.

After our conservation audit established that the south obelisk was in such a dangerous condition that it had to be dismantled, we took the professional lead in a Historic Scotland grant aided project for the repair and restoration of both obelisks.

The south obelisk was completely rebuilt on a new foundation, and stone replacement, metalwork conservation (replacing the 5 rusted iron balls which supported the south obelisk, and pins), removing graffitti and total repointing carried out using lime based mortars. The project included researching and recording the structure and arranging for mortar and paint analysis to be carried out, revealing that hydraulic lime mortar had been used for rebuilding the obeliks when they were moved to their present location in the C19, and they had also been limewashed to change their colour and blend with the later gateway. As a result of the work these unusual and early obelisks are again an important townscape feature of Alloa.