The crumbling Marlow obelisk in the town centre has been restored to its former glory after painstaking repair works were carried out.

The historic structure, which is at the top of the High Street, has been cleaned up, treated and repaired by Bucks County Council.

The obelisk is made out of two different materials - Portland limestone and sandstone at the top.

The limestone has been treated with a protective substance called ‘shelter coat’, though this cannot be used on the sandstone section as it could actually accelerate the decay process.

The inscription panels on the lower part of the obelisk have been repaired using lime mortar, which matches the colour and texture of the underlying stone.

As the mortar repairs are more porous than the stone, these will respond to moisture and the panels may appear mottled from time to time.

The weathered areas of stone will also respond to moisture and appear mottled, but the county council says this is "normal and to be expected".

During the works, which happened overnight in a bid to avoid creating traffic problems, engineers discovered a well and some pumping equipment below ground.

There was originally a pump in front of the obelisk for public use.

Deputy leader and transport cabinet member, Mark Shaw, said: "The completion of the restoration of Marlow Obelisk has been greatly anticipated and I think residents of Marlow will be really pleased with the end result. The obelisk has been restored to its former glory and really does look fantastic."