Equipment Hire company Facelift's Hickstead team recently assisted in a task of the highest order, as their powered access equipment was used to carry out work at the Carthusian Monastery of St Hugh's Charterhouse in the Weald of Sussex.
The Bronto 50 XDT-J - a super light truck mounted access platform - was used by a specialist team from the depot in Hickstead, West Sussex to enable them to carry out high level maintenance work at the monastery, one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
In the past, maintenance work has been hampered by the layout of the monastery, which is comprised of many small courtyards and over one kilometre of cloisters, along with a spire on the main church that is over 60 metres high. The architecture of the building means that access is limited, making tasks such as roof, chimney and gutter maintenance very difficult.
The Facelift team used a Bronto 50 XDTJ, a piece of powered access equipment whose extended reach enabled them to access even the most secluded parts of the monastery.
Work carried out included repair to damaged roof tiles, chimney inspection and repair and removal of significant weeds.
The cloister monks at the monastery were so pleased with the work carried out, that they provided the Facelift team with a traditional lunch served in small tiffin tins and a bottle of homemade apple wine to take home.
Gordon Leicester, Managing Director at Facelift commented: "Buildings like the monastery are undeniably beautiful, but their intricate nature can make even the most mundane maintenance tasks extremely difficult.
"We're delighted that our equipment and know-how meant we could carry out this tricky maintenance work and help preserve this stunning building for future generations."
The monastery is one of the most impressive sights in the Weald of Sussex. It was constructed in 1873 to celebrate the return of the Order to England, and to accommodate two holy communities that had been expelled from the continent.