A MEMORIAL in North Cornwall is set to undergo months of preservation work in an effort to maintain it for years to come.

Bude-Stratton Town Council has announced that works are set to be carried out on the Battle of Stratton Memorial ‘to help preserve this important historic monument’.

Part of the campaign of the English Civil War, the Battle of Stratton saw militaries clash on May 16, 1643. Royalist forces and Parliamentary ranks battled for eight hours, each side fought fiercely in an effort to secure Cornwall for their respective causes.

Led by Sir Ralph Hopton, and despite being outnumbered almost 2:1, the Royalist force claimed victory, with 300 Parliamentarians killed and 1,700 more taken prisoner.

To mark this Royalist - and in many ways Cornish - victory, the memorial was created.

Now work is being undertaken to restore the site and maintain it for the future.

However, as a result of these works, Bude-Stratton Town Council has announced that the space will be off limits while the restoration is undertaken.

A spokesperson from the council explained: “For safety reasons, access has been temporarily restricted while the necessary permissions are obtained and the restoration project is carried out.

“The memorial is situated on private land and there is no public right of way. The landowner has kindly permitted access to the memorial in the past and intends to welcome visitors back once the restoration work has been completed.”

However, this is no small undertaking, with the council suggesting that work could last a number of months, with work set to continue until spring 2027.

The spokesperson continued: “The restoration is expected to be completed by spring 2027. Thank you for your patience and understanding while this important conservation project progresses.”