Maryport’s harbour is to receive a mini spruce-up with work to replace tiling showcasing the town’s history due to start today (Monday).
The distinctive blue and white tiles which depict key themes of Maryport’s rich and varied past were originally installed in 2002.
But since then some of the tiles have become damaged over time due to natural wear and tear and vandalism.
Allerdale Borough Council has therefore organised for the missing ones to be replaced and has funded the scheme to the tune of £1,500.
To keep them as original as possible, the council managed to track down the artist who created them more than 15 years ago. Paul Scott, who lives in Blencogo, near Wigton, was commissioned to recreate some of the tiles he originally made with 20 new ones set to be installed.
Work, weather permitting, was scheduled to start today and will be carried out by local firm Stobbarts.
The tiles show scenes of the sea, fishing in Maryport, the Roman’s presence in the town, its role during the Industrial Revolution as well as old maps. The original designs were put together by Mr Scott, who has been an artist for about 30 years, following a public consultation.
Mike Johnson, who is executive member with responsibility for corporate resources, said: “These impressive tiles really highlight Maryport’s wonderful past and they were a wonderful addition to the town. However, we recognised that some of them weren’t in their best condition and wanted to allocate some funds towards their repair.
“We’re delighted that work will now begin to replace the broken ones and we look forward to welcoming visitors soon to explore them.”
Mr Scott said: “It is nice to see the tiles being repaired as it was a shame to see them damaged. I’m very happy that the council has arranged for these repairs and it has been a pleasure to recreate my old work.”
As part of the harbourside revamp the council has also arranged for the light known as the Blinking Eye to be repaired.
The light, which was designed to illuminate when a person approached it, had not been working for about seven years. However, the problem has been identified and is now being resolved.
