A MAJESTIC sea serpent has been restored to its former glory thanks to the incredible skill of a team of specialist furniture makers.

The National Trust commissioned Peter Hall and Son at Staveley to repair the historic Steam Yacht Gondola's iconic figurehead, Sid.

Sid was rotten to the core after being battered by the elements on Coniston for 35 years and it took four months to recreate the beautiful beast.

Hand tools were used for much of the finishing to ensure smooth and flowing shapes, and a detailed face.

Each night, Sid was placed in the woodshed at Peter Hall & Son to to protect him from becoming too dry.

Each of the scales have been painstakingly planned to ensure an even cross hatch pattern that tightens at the coils.

Every line has been hand carved with a V shaped chisel and mallet and over six coats of undercoat and yellow paint were applied. It finally got a skin of gold leaf, requiring a huge amount of care so as not to fill the grooves so that they would lose their definition.

Peter Hall & Son patched Sid up in 2002 and 2010, but this was a much tougher job.

Jeremy Hall, who accompanied Sid back to Coniston, said: "We were delighted to embark on this project for the National Trust as Gondola is a yacht with which our team feels a great connection.

"This is possibly the most unusual commission we have ever undertaken and we feel proud to be part of Gondola’s unique story.

"Our chief craftsman on this project was Ian Sugden who, over the past five months, has carved, chipped, sanded and gilded the new creation from blocks of English oak."

Suzi Bunting, Gondola’s Visitor Experience Manager, said: "The serpent truly represents Gondola’s links to her Victorian history, so we’d really like to thank all those who donated to ensure Sid remains as an iconic spectacle on Coniston Water for all to enjoy."

Read the crew’s blog about the re-carving of Sid and donate to help cover his costs visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/news/support-sidney

A full time lapse video of Sid being carved can be viewed on the Peter Hall & Son website: www.peter-hall.co.uk/our-journal/sid-the-serpent