Radcliffe Observatory staircase conservation

The magnificent cantilever staircase at the heart of the Radcliffe Observatory underwent essential repairs during the long vacation.

Three areas where minor stress fractures required attention were highlighted in a survey by listed buildings staircase specialist Helen Rogers of Price & Myers earlier in 2023. The repair was timed to coincide with the catering shutdown to minimise disruption.

Scaffolding had to be designed to ensure the three areas were well-supported before works could start.

The treads had drill holes and slotted channels, in which stainless steel rods were inserted and then injected with a resin, to solidify the rods.

Steps 45 and 46, 59 and 60, 71, 72 and 73 were the three areas of repair. The pictures below show the three stages of repair as an example.

Access to the Tower Room has been restored for small groups of up to to two people with college members at any one time. The frequency of their use will play an important role in the preservation of this very elegant piece of engineering, not originally designed for the heavy traffic we see today.

There will be closely-managed occasions like the Open Doors weekend this September when larger numbers are provided supervised access to the historic space with views across the city of Oxford.

This work was just the latest of numerous repairs during the building’s 250-year lifetime to date, which has been extremely important to preserving the use of the staircase for many more years to come.

A campaign to secure the required funds for a substantial Radcliffe Observatory conservation project is in the advanced stages of planning and will be launched toward the latter part of this year.

Domestic Bursar Teresa Strike said,

‘I’m grateful to all those involved for completing this work with a minimum of disruption to college members. It is a reminder of the importance of conserving the historic Radcliffe Observatory for future generations.’