ICONIC wooden scrolls that "disappeared" from an historic Bridport building are busy being replaced by a local joiner.
The black wooden scrolls were damaged beyond repair after resting for more than 100 years on top of an iconic East Street building, now occupied by Cancer Research UK.
Bridport business Acorn Joinery and Design was tasked with replacing the wooden structures so they can be reinstated on the building. King Charles II stayed at the building when it was The Old George Inn - as he fled from defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, and was almost captured.
Derek Young is hand carving the new wooden scrolls at his workshop at East Road Business Park.
He said: "Nobody knew that we had them here - people seemed to think they had disappeared or been taken.
"They originally wanted us to repair them, but they then realised that they were too far gone and they would have to be replaced.
"They are hand carved bespoke pieces and no two are the same. It has probably taken more than 100 hours so far, and there is still a lot of work to do before they are ready.
"When you look at the original scrolls, they have been patched up over the years and a lot of it is now rotten."
Having removed the scrolls, Cancer Research UK discovered they were beyond repair.
A spokesperson said: "The parapet has been carefully removed from the property due to structural instability.
"Listed Building Consent to partially reconstruct the parapet and repair the ornate, carved timber scrolls, finials and posts, was granted on the 13 November 2014. However, following further investigations, the existing scrolls, finials and posts were found to be decayed beyond repair."
Mr Young is adding the final touches to the first new scroll - while he has started working on the second replacement.
He said: "It would be nice for people to know that these new ones have been made in Bridport.
"The originals are by no means identical. It could have been two different men that built them originally. They didn't have the facilities that we have.
"I have tried to copy the original as accurately as I can, and the second one will try and match the first one - so they will both look the same."
Before Cancer Research UK took up its shop in East Street, the building was a pharmacy. Dr Giles Roberts occupied the building from 1805, where he developed the 'Poor Man's Friend' ointment, which helped treat aches, pains and ailments.
In the 1970s, a pharmacist bought Dr Roberts' old shop and discovered the original copy of the recipe for the Poor Man's Friend in a sealed envelope marked private.
Dr Roberts' old shop in Bridport
The ointment consists mainly of lard and fine English beeswax, plus calamel, sugar of lead, salts of mercury, oxide of zinc, oxide of bismuth, venetian red, oils of rose, bergamot and lavender. It would have been effective for the treatment of eczema and minor skin infections.
Mr Young added: "This is what I have done all my life in Bridport.
Derek Young with the base for the second replacement scroll
"They have been made in Bridport by a Bridport person and I'm very proud to know my work will be up there in the future."
For more information on Acorn Joinery and Design, please call 01308 424511.
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