👷Leighton Library undercroft work on track through April
Added at 10:47 on 24 April 2026
👷Work is on track for the Leighton Library undercroft
One month on, we have taken stock. After a surprise at the thickness of the modern
concrete floor which had to be lifted, and the size of some of the boulders found under
the floor, work has progressed on time.
To date the contractors have:
• Removed the ground floor slab and excavated the sub base (by hand in case of
archaeological interest)
• Installed cable ducts for wiring and data feeds
• Laid a sub floor and insulation
• Opened up the window recess on the south wall and removed the WW2 bricks in
the original main door. This has exposed the original huge iron door hinge
brackets and the locking plate, which we’ll keep.
Archaeologists were in attendance for the dig, but other than an original hearth stone
deep in the south west corner, nothing of archaeological note was found. Interestingly
records show that in 1988 a v shaped channel was excavated in the earthen sub floor,
however no trace of this was found during current excavation.
The floor will be laid with paving slabs, but only after the messy work of raking out and
repointing all the mortar on the walls and ceiling is complete. This is estimated to take
around four weeks. The new south window fittings (sash and case) will be fitted on 24
April. There is work to do on the door surrounds, which will involve skilled stonemasonry
and joinery. We were aware there is evidence of damp in the base of the north wall,
which appears to be caused by roots drawing in moisture. There will be remedial work to
address this.
Looking ahead, the next phase will encompass electrical and joinery work, plus door
and window installation, as well as a lot of repointing.
Alastair MacDonald - Leighton Library restoration lead