Renovation of the distinctive turrets on the southern end of Old College is nearing completion as work on the ambitious project to breathe new life into the Grade I listed building takes a significant step forward.

The last of the turrets’ green slates was nailed into place by north Wales based roofing specialists Greenough & Sons earlier this month, as the project’s main contractor Andrew Scott Limited marked progress on this section of South Seddon.

Originally built in the 1860s as tea rooms, London based architect J P Seddon oversaw its development into a science block as part of the redevelopment of Old College following the great fire of 1885.

In its latest guise, South Seddon will house a business and enterprise hub and student study spaces.

Whilst the building is being transformed, many of its historical features have been retained, including what remains of the ventilation system installed in the science laboratories over 130 years ago.

In keeping with its architectural heritage, new slates on the building’s roof match the original ‘heather blue’ slates produced by the Penrhyn Slate Quarry in north Wales.

Heavier grade slates, 3,000 of them, have been put on the sea-facing section of the building to better withstand the weather, whilst 3,000 of the roof’s original slates have been salvaged and reused on the other side.

The original green slates for the three turrets would have been quarried in Dyffryn Nantlle, north Wales.

With these no longer available, the closest match was sourced from Vermont in the USA.

Using traditional techniques, these slates have been cut individually to size as each row became progressively tighter higher up the turrets.

Unfortunately, the finial that stood on the main turret since the 1880s had corroded beyond repair.

Using historic images and what remained of the original, a new and exact copy is now in place.

Measuring 2.3 metres in length and weighing in at 30 kilograms, the new finial which features sections of wood, cast and wrought iron, has been produced by Rhymney based Acorn Restorations Ltd.

New smaller finials made of cast iron and lead that feature on the smaller turrets are also in place.

The original cast iron guttering on South Seddon has also been cleaned and protected from the elements by a special marine tolerant coating.

And missing sections replaced with newly cast guttering made using moulds from the original guttering.

With the final slate now in place, new flashing is set to be installed around the base of the finials before work can begin to lower the scaffolding.

Shaun Davies, Project Manager for Andrew Scott on the Old College project said: “Completion of the turrets on South Seddon is a major step forward.

“The many ridges and valleys of the extensive roof of Old College make this a hugely complex task which requires great attention to detail.”

The multi-million pound Old College project, which will create up to 130 jobs for the town, is due to be completed in 2026.