The Cockerel is Back!

The cockerel was returned to St John’s on 28th February 2024. Shining in its new coat of gold leaf, and mounted on a neat stand it will be displayed in the kirk until the time is right to replace it on its historic place atop the spire.  Then it can resume its 500 year long watching brief over the City of Perth, its people and St John’s Kirk. Ratho Byres Forge, near Edinburgh. where it was refurbished, has done a marvellous job – repairing the splits and dents in the cockerel, applying the gold leaf, and restoring the heavy 10 foot shaft on which it is mounted.

A video record of the restoration has been made by Ratho Byres Forge for Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust, and a Master Class in gilding organised by Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust, and facilitated by Ratho Byres Forge took place on the 24th of April 2024.

The cost of the project was £9,552 including the cost of  creating the video and VAT (which we are hoping to recover).  We received a grant of £2,930 from the Perth Common Good fund, and £ 5,000 from Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust which includes £720 for the cost of creating the video. We also received a generous donation of £1,000 from a member of the Friends, which left just £ 622 to be met from the resources of the Friends.

The replacement of the cockerel on the top of the spire will have to await the essential repairs to the spire which has suffered from water penetration through leaks in the lead covering which is more than two and a half centuries old.