The first pieces of an historic archway, which has welcomed visitors to Pearson Park for more than a century, have returned to Hull following refurbishment as part of a £3.8m restoration project.
The pillars were returned to the park yesterday and reveal the new colour scheme of the refurbished gateway.
The rich cream colour with accents of green is how it has looked for the majority of its lifetime.
The pillars are the first pieces of the archway to return to the park following restoration.
The Pearson Park Restoration Project will restore the park’s historic assets and reinstate some of its original Victorian features which have been lost over the years.
The cast iron archway has been painstakingly restored by specialist contractors Lost Art.
Individual pieces of the archway have been restored, and in some cases remade.
Councillor John Fareham, chairman of the Pearson Park Trust and Project Steering Group, said: “The archway is one of the most noted and popular features of the park and it’s certainly been missed. However its restoration was much-needed, so it’s fantastic that we have been able to include it as part of the transformational project at Pearson Park.
“The return of the archway is a key milestone in the project. We are all incredibly excited about the next few months as we see the final phases of the restoration come together.”
The rest of the archway will be pieced together over the coming weeks.
Once complete, the public will be invited to an opening event to celebrate the return of the gateway. This will include an exhibition explaining the intricate processes involved in the restoration work and the level of bespoke craftsmanship involved.
The £3.8m Pearson Park Project has been supported by a £3m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
