The Kesgrave Monument, Ipswich
Posted: 17 Sep, 2025
CED was first approached in March 2004 regarding an idea for a monument to be erected. We were told it was to comprise 3 standing stones, each approximately 8 metres high, which were to be linked together in a fan / propeller formation.
The only other information we were given at the time was that the stone was to be grey/blue and, at a point near the top of each “fan blade”, there was to be a dished indent.
At the time, we didn’t know what the monument was for. It was only later that we discovered it was to commemorate the early pioneers responsible for the development of machines that led to, or indeed were, the first electronic digital computers.
We were given a series of drawings which proved to be just a little more complex than “simple standing stones with dished indents at the top”. The indents alone were extremely complicated cut-outs called “conics”. These had to be mathematically correct to form a PARABOLA, a CIRCLE, and a RECTANGULAR HYPERBOLA.
The construction of each piece was difficult enough (destruction is probably a more accurate term) because each section (3 per “blade”) had to start off as a huge lump of un-worked granite, the smallest of which weighed in at just under 1 metric tonne. Small shards had to be slowly chipped away with small hand tools and finished off with hand-held masonry hammers and chisels until the finished articles, mathematically exact, had emerged.
Each “blade” had to have 3 vertical holes drilled through each of its 3 sections from top to bottom. It was critical that the holes were perfectly aligned from the top of the top section down to the bottom of the lowest section, so this task alone became a great challenge. We ran the risk of having to discard at least one section entirely and consign it to scrap if we failed to meet just this one criterion, only to start afresh.
It’s important to note that the stone chosen was French granite, and the factory selected to manufacture the monument was formed entirely of French speakers. It is often not appreciated that much of our work is carried out using foreign material, so we must take great care that our instructions are carried out “to the letter”. Making sure this happens is no easy task, particularly as, coupled with the language barrier, we are often many thousands of miles away from the factories we work with.
In this case, we were fortunate that the construction of the three blades went very smoothly, and the two visits to the factory in Brittany were simply to check measurements and timing. However, we knew we weren’t yet out of the woods.
Each “blade” had to be erected simultaneously on site (starting with the three bottom sections, then the three middles, and finally, if everything had thus far proceeded according to plan, the 3 top sections, namely the CIRCLE, the PARABOLA, and the RECTANGULAR HYPERBOLA.
The logistics had to be thought through extremely carefully. It wasn’t a simple case of delivering all nine sections to the site and being done with it. Despite their huge size and weight, they were deceptively fragile, so we wanted to avoid multiple handling. Timing was critical. The delivery of each batch of three sections to the site had to coincide with the presence of an expensive crane that had been hired by the client.
Everything went perfectly until the penultimate section was being lifted off the lorry. All it took was for someone’s attention to waver momentarily as the giant block was being lifted, and disaster struck. The block swung forward and “bumped” against the final block, resulting in large chunks being knocked off both pieces.
The mood on the site was palpable. Everyone was affected, from the client to the contractor’s workmen, as they saw the final goal snatched away so suddenly. It was October 2007, and nearly four years had now passed since CED Stone first became involved. For others, such as the client, the designers, and the contractor, it had been a lot longer.
We, of course, made our best effort to repair the blocks, but found it an impossible task. Our effort was highly commended by the client and the contractor; unfortunately, the only option was to replace the two damaged blocks entirely.
The decision to replace them did not come lightly; apart from the additional cost to the contractor, the risk of the three holes not lining up would now be greatly increased, and there was still the huge worry of moving the stones a vast distance without further mishap. As we saw it, though, we had no other choice, so we set about the task with forethought and planned each step. The first step was to return the damaged sections to the factory so they could, at the very least, copy critical measurements.
At this point, an enormous amount of credit should be afforded to the skill of the French masons. They were able to reproduce both sections flawlessly and in a very short period of time. We seemed to have regained some of our luck, because, despite the many months that had now passed between the initial procurement of the blue/grey granite block, the French were able to source 2 blue/grey blocks of granite that were a perfect match to the first lot. Anyone who works with stone knows this is not always possible.
When the two blocks finally arrived at the site, the utmost care was taken in lifting them from the lorry to their final resting place. Cheers went up and, in the excitement of the moment, some wag erected a “jolly roger” at the highest point of the supporting mast – a moment that was captured for posterity by the photographer for the Kesgrave News.
The monument (actually well over 8 metres - 24 foot – high) now stands proudly in Kesgrave, Ipswich, as a lasting tribute to the pioneers of computers. When one stands back and looks at the structure itself, one cannot help but think about what a remarkable achievement this landmark also represents: the incredible skill of the team at CED and its partners.
