Maysand has won a contract to rebuild part of the Chester city walls which collapsed last year. A 30-metre section of the walkway, parts of which date to medieval and Roman times, collapsed in April 2008.

Work to repair the damage is due to start early in July and is expected to take anywhere between 32 and 52 weeks depending what the team involved discover once work commences.

The initial phase will be painstaking as the wall in the collapsed area is taken down stone by stone. Each individual stone will then be engraved with a reference number and catalogued so that each can be put back in its exact place.

The fill between the two outer stone skins will be checked for items of interest by archaeologists.

The full value of the project will not be known until Maysand discover just how stable the wall is, though it could be up to £880,000.

Maysand Managing Director Bryn Lisle said:

This is a fascinating job to be involved in as the walls are a scheduled ancient monument.

“We will be re-using as much of the original masonry as possible that’s why every stone we take down has to be individually numbered and catalogued. Each has to go back in its right place. We will take the wall down to ground level, possibly further though we would prefer not to disturb the original Roman wall at all.

"Until we actually start work it will be difficult to assess how stable the remaining wall is and the full extent of the problem. A lot of work has been done to try to help discover the reasons for the collapse and look for any other potential weak spots in adjoining sections.”

Maysand will be working closely with Chester Renaissance on behalf of Cheshire West and Chester as well as Gifford Structural Engineering throughout the project.

Since the collapse stabilisation work has included installing props and anchors to support the internal face of the wall to stop any further risk of immediate collapse.

However the walkway has been closed to the public and one of the immediate priorities is to re-open that. A specialist company will install a temporary steel walkway in July, enabling residents and visitors to see the re-construction work going on.

Cheshire West and Chester portfolio holder for prosperity, Councillor Herbert Manley said:

The walls are key to Chester’s identity, part of what makes the city so special. They are a fantastic tourist attraction and an important and thoroughfare for residents. I am delighted that these repairs are underway. The temporary walkway around the works will allow people to walk the complete circuit again for the first time in more than a year. It will also give people the chance to see this fascinating work in progress.