KENDAL'S Town Hall clock tower is halfway through its 'once in a generation' renovation work, as a skilled team grafts to restore it to peak condition.

Close to £300,000 is being spent on the town's iconic structure, with some 188 stones being replaced.

Paul Grout, architect for the restoration work, said that the project was a 'work in progress' but it was going well.

"It's not complicated in the idea behind it, replacing the stone to match the existing stone" he said. "It's just that it does require attention to detail from everyone involved. From the drawings to the stone scheduling to the carving and the installation. It requires a careful methodical approach."

Maysand Ltd is the main contractor on the project, with the team working through adverse weather conditions to get the job done.

Scaffolding was put up around the tower in June after listed building consent was given for restoration work to be undertaken.

Mr Grout said that the tower had been monitored for the past seven years but it was the impact of the 2015 floods that threw into relief how important it was to undertake the work.

"During Storm Desmond a piece actually was blown off and fell to the ground and rather alerted people to the priority of it," he explained. "And so we put together this project following that but it's been needing to be done for 10 years really."

The original stonework on the tower dates back to 1892 and none of the two 188 pieces of stone that are being replaced are the same.

Each stone must have its own drawing in order for the stonemasons at Lyons Stonework to replicate them.

The original sandstone is then cut out carefully to allow for the replacement stone to be secured in place.

The building has also been steam cleaned as part of the work and the timber, including the windows and the high level lantern, is being redecorated.

Mr Grout said that the town hall was an 'important building' for Kendal and a 'real focal point'.

"South Lakeland District Council own the building and want to look after it because of its importance in Kendal," he said.

It has been 20 years since work was last done on the clock tower and Mr Grout hopes that it will be another 20 or so until it is necessary to do it again.

"Sandstone will continue to deteriorate so it will need ongoing attention from others in the future," he explained.

The work is set to be completed after Christmas but no official date has been given.

"I hope people notice when it's finished but in a funny way I hope they don't notice," Mr Grout said. "It will obviously look renewed, it will look clean.

"We are replacing the corroded stone with new to match the existing stone, so I hope it's not going to leap out as you as something that's brand new. Just when people look at it they will think that it looks in good condition."