Earlier this year a section of ornamental stonework on the Martyrs’ Memorial collapsed but following an assessment by stonemasonry specialists Dave Miles & Sons careful repair work has been completed, with cordons removed in time for the Easter weekend.

Built in 1843 to commemorate three Protestant martyrs, Bishops Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer, and Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, who were publicly executed in 1555 and 1556 during the reign of Mary I, who sought to return England to Catholicism. The site of their execution is on Broad Street, not far from this monument, marked today with a simple cobblestone cross on the pavement.

Some 300 years later, amid concerns about a revival of Catholic practices within the Church of England, Anglican church members raised funds to build the memorial as a tribute to the sacrifices made for the Protestant faith. Designed by a young George Gilbert Scott, the memorial was inspired by the 13th-century Eleanor Cross at Waltham and is a striking example of early Gothic Revival architecture. It is listed Grade II* and remains a popular landmark and meeting point in the city.