Gorton Monastery Saints Restoration

When I visited Grumpys I had an unexpected surprise when I found these 12 six-foot tall statues being restored outside Gorton Monastery just around the corner from Grumpys.  When I saw them the restorer was in the process of carving the nose of the statue on the right in the photo blow.  It must be a rewarding job and a privilege to do such delicate important work.

The Saints were removed in the 1990’s as the monastery was going to be made into flats.  A few years later the statues mysteriously appeared in a Sotheby’s auction and an investigation was carried out into who owned them.  They were subsequently taken out of the auction and Manchester Council bought them for £25,000.  They are being conserved for future generations to treasure.  The Saints are going to be completed this year for the monastery’s 150^th anniversary and will be installed on 30ft high plinths in the monastery.