Specialist historic buildings contractor Cathedral Works Organisation (CWO) has completed a major project to restore the historic Italian Gardens in London’s Kensington Gardens.

The Grade II listed ornamental water gardens with fountains and statuary were built in the 1860s. Over the years, the gardens, on the North side of Kensington Gardens by Lancaster Gate, had severe frost damage and a build-up of algae.

In 2010, support pledged to the Royal Parks Foundation (USA) by The Tiffany & Co Foundation enabled a major water feature restoration programme across London’s Royal Parks. The Italian Gardens were part of that.

The restoration work focused on stone carvings, cleaning and restoring the famous Tazza Fountain overlooking the Long Water, renovating the benches and installing a new, cleaner water system.

The Gardens were given a thorough and specialised clean using Doff super-heated water cleaning and a gentle abrasive cleaning technique.

Using Doff to remove moss, algae, fungi and other biological matter also killed off spores, so no chemical biocides were needed.

The stonemasonry work involved carving eight life-sized swan heads and necks as handles on some of the urns. The Tazza fountain, made from Portland limestone and Carrara marble, was showing significant deterioration and required a great deal of in-situ fine carving to the acanthus band and the ‘mermen’ supporting the bowl.

Central rosettes in the four main basins, all elaborately carved in Carrara marble, needed careful cleaning and some element of replacement. CWO had four carvers on-site, supported by carvers at its Chichester headquarters.