Mapperton House Eagles return following crowdfunder
The 18th lead birds have been repaired and installed again
A Dorset manor is welcoming the return of two 18th century lead eagles.
The pair have stood outside Mapperton House, near Beaminster, for some 300 years - but had been in dire need of repairs since one was toppled in a storm in 2022.
They've been restored following a crowdfunding campaign which has raised more than £23,000.
Luke and Julie Montagu, Viscount and Viscountess Hinchingbrooke, set up the campaign and said:
“We are so pleased to see the eagles back at Mapperton. When one fell off its perch in the storm in October 2022 we had no idea that both birds would need such extensive repairs.
"Thanks to the generosity of our patrons and donors we have been able to fund their restoration and we hope they will now soar above Mapperton for another 300 years.”
Expert leadworker Mike White from Taunton, has remounted after months of painstaking work.
He meticulously disassembled the eagles, replaced supports, remoulded, and added new lead to revive them.
Darren Lang, the stonemason at Mapperton, then rebuilt the plinths and strengthened the stone piers.
The GoFundMe fundraiser is still open and donations will now go towards repairing the pillars which support the eagles.