After months of renovation and significant repairs, a much-loved section of a playground has been re-opened.

The steam roller at the Kings Road play area in Dorchester has been in place for decades but over the past few months had had its engine fully repaired and the machine has been fully refurbished.

Dorchester Town Council is pleased to announce that children can, once again, enjoy the equipment with it “ready to last another century.”

The steam roller, an icon of Dorchester’s industrial heritage, had been under renovation since last October but was opened to the public earlier in the month.

Work originally consisted of stripping back years of paint as well as mixture of temporary repairs and corrosion; a big discovery revealed just how decayed the steam roller had become.

It quickly became clear that the decision to undertake the remedial work was very timely as the corrosion inside the old engine was extensive and significant - if left much longer the engine would have been beyond repair.

The works were carried out by William Murgatroyd at Spitfire Forge.

A spokesperson for Dorchester Town Council said: “We would like to thank him for time and effort he put into the repair work - making sure the roller was fit for many generations to come.

“He went above and beyond the role of simply affecting repairs which has been a huge help.”

Some interesting reproduction features have been re-instated, to reflect the roller’s past, courtesy of volunteer William Crumbleholme who 3D scanned and printed various aspects.

They include both the engine identification plate and the famous Aveling and Porter prancing horse and Invicta logo, which, alongside the sign written name now present again on the roof, give a very visible reference to the engine’s heritage.

Sadly, a recent event to mark the opening involving Simon Crumbleholme bringing his Eddison steam engine along with the Hayden Princess driven by other members of Dorset Steam Engine Preservation Society, to help the mayor celebrate, had to be cancelled due to significant heat and fire risk.

It is hoped a future event will be arranged, but for the moment it’s a very big welcome back to a much-missed icon of industrial heritage.