Dr. Badger’s memorial dry stone bench – Dunbar

I was contacted in the Spring of 2013 with a proposal to build a dry stone bench in the East Lothian town of Dunbar.  The dry stone bench was a memorial to the local GP, Dr. Tom Badger, who had served the local community for 30 years, and the local lifeboat crew for 26 of them. The build finally commenced in January 2014.

It was a complicated piece to make, with very precise dimensions. The stonework formed an arc, rising from a low height of 0.6m to 1.5m tall.  At the tallest end, the wall butted up against a monolith with a fantastic carving in it. There was a low wall with a difficult acute angle, and curved paths too!  And to make everything more challenging, I had to build within a fairly constricted space.

The other biggest challenge was dealing with the public. Being right  in the harbour area, many people passed the work site every day, and most of them stayed for a couple of minutes to chat. It was good PR for me, but certainly added to the time taken in building!

However, I am very pleased with the result.  The feedback has been excellent, and hopefully we have created something that will be a long-lasting and worthwhile addition to the town.  And most importantly, a fitting memorial to Dr. Badger.

Stone carving by Gardner Molloy – http://www.gardnermolloy.co.uk/

Landscaping and paving by Spruce Garden Services – http://sprucegardenservices.com/