The grave of Emmeline Pankhurst has been labelled a ‘national disgrace’ after it was left filthy and with chipped stonework after a military grave restorer described the Grade-II listed plinth as ‘an embarrassment’, reports MyLondon.
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… a national monument and a national disgrace.’…
… the sandstone grave could be easily damaged and details could be destroyed…
MyLondon writes:
Grave restorer Steve Davies told The Telegraph : “It’s in an awful state. The paving around it is as black as night, the lettering and the engraving are barely readable. To me, it’s a national monument and a national disgrace.”….
The grave was last surveyed in 2018 and it was reported to be very dirty and chipped but a Kensington and Chelsea Council officer claimed the plinth did not need cleaning.
Steve offered to restore the iconic grave for free and Helen supported the move.
But the Royal Parks, which is responsible for the grave, refused to let Steve tend the grave as he did not have the appropriate qualifications.
It feared the sandstone grave could be easily damaged and details could be destroyed if it was not cleaned correctly….
In a statement, Brompton Cemetery manager Charli Kerr said: “We can confirm a member of the public has offered to clean Emmeline Pankhurst’s grave memorial in Brompton Cemetery.
“Although this is a lovely and generous offer, the grave is listed by Historic England and any works, including cleaning, must be carried out by a person with the appropriate qualifications and only after Listed Building Consent has been granted by the relevant local authority.
“For example, they should be a qualified stonemason or be in possession of the Heritage Skills CSCS Card. Unfortunately, the person who made the offer does not hold this type of formal qualification.
