One of Oxford’s most treasured classical buildings, the 18th century Radcliffe Camera, is undergoing careful conservation work in the safe hands of Beard. Removing and refurbishing eight large windows beneath the domed roof is part of a three year programme of works which includes lead work repairs, stone cleaning, internal decoration and other refurbishments.

Beard’s specialist Property Services team, which has wide experience working with Oxford’s historic buildings, will be using a crane to lift the fragile windows down and to crane up temporary replacements. Special care will have to be taken to protect the original glazing, which holds unique historic value with centuries of engraved ‘graffiti’ from past students and tradesmen.

Conservators painstakingly removed each pane of glass from the windows, which were then dismantled and taken off site for specialist cleaning and repair.

Nick Bradley, Property Service Manager at Beard explained: “At this stage we are removing windows, glass and plant from the roof top. It’s a very delicate operation and careful planning is needed as we only have the crane on site for a maximum of eight hours.”

“The building is one of Oxford University’s busiest reading rooms so logistically it’s also quite challenging. To reach the heights we are working at we need scaffolding within the building and externally and great care is needed to protect the building’s interior,” Bradley added.