St Albans Cathedral

Anti-Skate

Project Overview

St Albans Cathedral required a permanent anti-skate solution for the stonework around the Cathedral grounds due to the increasing number of skaters grinding on the masonry. This was causing damage to both the appearance and structure of the walls and planter wall edges.

The site is of vast historical importance to Britain and the Church of England as it is the shrine to Britain’s first saint and the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in the country’s history. Because of this the anti-skate solution needed to be one that didn’t vastly alter the appearance of the masonry and remain a subtle addition to the walls.

The Retrofit Anti-Skate Blade was selected as it’s very slight protrusion from the stone work kept it neatly tucked away, preventing skaters from grinding on the surface while remaining unobtrusive for the many visitors the Cathedral receives daily.

Installation

The retrofit anti-skate blade was installed by utilising a 12″ angle grinder to cut out a hollow in the mortar joints that matched the anti-skate blades rear curve. The hollows were then cleared of dust and debris before epoxy resin was applied, the blades were then inserted and allowed to cure overnight.