Familiar Stoke-on-Trent landmarks are getting repairs

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-11 16:12 3 min read

A fenced burial site sits beneath two large, weathered red brick arches in a park.

By the Beehive Web editorial team
Published 11 August 2026

War memorials, statues, a drinking fountain and the tomb of one of Stoke-on-Trent’s defining industrial figures are among the first landmarks entering conservation this week.

Eight sites will be tackled in the opening phase of a £240,252 programme covering 24 monuments and landmarks across the city’s six towns and surrounding communities. The Centenary Restoration Fund is led by Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Re-Form Heritage, with funding from National Lottery players through The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The programme concentrates on smaller heritage features that residents encounter in parks, cemeteries, squares and public spaces. Its wider list includes war memorials, tombs, fountains and sculptures, with sites prioritised according to their condition, accessibility, community feedback and potential for local involvement.

The first eight landmarks entering conservation

The initial phase stretches from Tunstall to Fenton and includes monuments associated with remembrance, pottery, engineering and civic life:

The Cenotaph and Memorial Wall in Tunstall Memorial Gardens
The Sir Henry Doulton statue in Burslem
Swan Square War Memorial in Burslem
The drinking fountain in St John’s Square, Burslem
Hanley Cemetery War Memorial
The statue of James Brindley in Etruria
The tomb of Josiah Wedgwood in Stoke
Glebedale Park Memorial in Fenton

Together, these eight sites show the range of the wider scheme. Some commemorate people lost in war, while others preserve visible connections to figures and industries that shaped Stoke-on-Trent.

Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said public support for the scheme demonstrated how closely residents identify with these landmarks. She said they commemorate war heroes, recognise notable local figures and record the industries behind the city’s development.

Cleaning, stone repairs and metalwork restoration

The work will not follow one standard treatment. Conservators will assess the condition of each monument and apply the repairs required at that particular site.

Planned tasks include cleaning surfaces, removing vegetation and graffiti, renewing damaged mortar through repointing, and repairing stonework and surrounding paving. Metal elements may be redecorated, while components that are already damaged can be replaced where necessary.

That site-by-site approach matters because the programme covers structures made from different materials and exposed to different forms of wear. A cemetery statue, public fountain and park memorial may therefore receive distinct treatments even though they belong to the same restoration phase.

Andrew Emery, chief executive of Re-Form Heritage, said the project would also involve communities, volunteers and young people. Alongside the physical conservation, the organisation plans to uncover and share the stories connected with the landmarks and create opportunities for residents to help care for local heritage.

A four-stage programme for 24 city landmarks

The Centenary Restoration Fund is supported by a £240,252 grant awarded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. That money will finance work across all 24 selected landmarks rather than only the first eight sites.

Delivery is divided into four stages: three repair phases followed by a further phase of specialist conservation. The first phase began in the week commencing Monday, 10 August, and is scheduled to continue until the end of October 2026.

Preparations for the second and third repair phases are already under way. The council has not yet provided the individual start dates for those stages or identified which of the remaining 16 landmarks will be handled in each one.

Source: Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

The locations, funding, conservation work and timetable were checked against the Stoke-on-Trent City Council announcement published on 11 August 2026.

Checks

Matched the eight first-phase landmarks to the council’s published list.
Checked the £240,252 grant amount and the organisations delivering and supporting the prog...
Confirmed that the wider scheme covers 24 landmarks in four stages.
Confirmed that phase one runs from the week commencing 10 August to the end of October 202...

Stoke-on-Trent City Council Check wider coverage