Case Study

Posted on April 2, 2026 by Laura Kay — Leave a comment

Reaching the Flagpole at Reading Minster with a Cherry Picker

Flag pole on top of Reading Minster Church tower

When the flagpole at Reading Minster of St Mary the Virgin needed attention, the challenge was immediately apparent. The pole sits at the very top of the church tower, high above one of Reading’s most prominent historic buildings in the heart of the town centre. Reaching it required careful planning, the right equipment and the experience to coordinate a large-scale access operation in a busy urban environment. Hampshire Flag Company carried out a full service and halyard replacement in July 2025.

The Challenge

The flagpole at Reading Minster sits at the top of the church tower, placing it well beyond the reach of any standard access equipment. Getting a cherry picker capable of reaching that height into position in a town centre location added another layer of complexity to the job. The streets around the Minster are not designed with large plant in mind and the logistics of manoeuvring a machine of the required size into a workable position required careful advance planning.

The urgency of the job was compounded by the reason for the visit. The halyard had snapped, leaving the flagpole out of use entirely. For a church of Reading Minster’s standing and history, getting the pole back into service was a priority.

38 Metre Cherry Picker at bottom of Rading Minster Church Tower

Our Approach

Hampshire Flag Company arranged and coordinated a 38 metre cherry picker to access the flagpole at the top of the tower. At 38 metres, this is a significant piece of equipment and one that very few flagpole contractors would have the experience or connections to source and deploy for a job of this nature. Our team planned the access route and positioning carefully to ensure the operation could be carried out safely and efficiently within the constraints of the town centre location.

Once at height, our operatives carried out a full flagpole service covering a structural inspection of the pole and all its fittings, a complete assessment of all components, corrosion treatment where required and a thorough operational check. The snapped halyard was replaced in full, restoring the pole to working order and allowing the Minster to fly its flag once again.

Flagpole Halyard closeup

The Outcome

The flagpole at Reading Minster of St Mary the Virgin was fully serviced and returned to use in July 2025. The halyard replacement was completed at height in a single visit and the pole was left in excellent condition with all components inspected and treated.

This job is a good illustration of the breadth of access capability Hampshire Flag Company can bring to bear. From rope access on a quiet churchyard installation through to a 38 metre cherry picker in a busy town centre, we have the experience and resources to reach flagpoles wherever they are. If your church or historic building has a flagpole that needs attention, contact our team to discuss the best approach for your site.

Reading Minster Flag & Flagpole

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Posted on March 31, 2026March 31, 2026 by Lewis Bevan — Leave a comment

A 12 Metre Flagpole for Quintin Boat Club, Ready in Two Weeks

12 metre flagpole supply and installation

When Quintin Boat Club in Chiswick approached Hampshire Flag Company to supply and install a flagpole for their newly refurbished clubhouse, they needed a supplier who could move quickly, deliver on time and install to the standard that a prestigious riverside venue deserves. The 12 metre fibreglass flagpole was in the ground and flying within two weeks of the order being placed.

The Client

Quintin Boat Club is one of London’s leading rowing clubs, based on the north bank of the Thames at Chiswick. The club sits right at the finish line of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, one of the most iconic stretches of the Thames and a location steeped in rowing history. Following a full refurbishment of the clubhouse, the club wanted a flagpole that would complement the newly improved facilities and make a statement from the riverbank.

Quintin Boat Club Installed Flag & Flagpole

The Requirement

The brief called for a 12 metre ground-mounted fibreglass flagpole, installed as part of the wider clubhouse refurbishment project. The riverside location on the Thames presented some site-specific considerations: ground conditions near the riverbank required careful assessment and the installation needed to be carried out precisely to ensure the pole would perform reliably in the exposed conditions of a Thames riverside setting.

Timing was also a priority. With the refurbishment programme ongoing and the club keen to have the flagpole in place as part of the finished result, a fast turnaround from order to installation was essential.

Quintin Boat Club Flagpole base

Our Approach

Hampshire Flag Company’s in-house stock of fibreglass flagpoles means we are rarely waiting on suppliers. Operating from our 17,000 sq ft warehouse facility, we hold poles across the full range from 4 metres to 20 metres and above, alongside all the fittings and accessories needed for a complete installation. For Quintin Boat Club, this meant we could confirm availability, arrange a site visit and schedule the installation without any of the lead time delays that affect suppliers who do not hold their own stock.

The 12 metre fibreglass pole was installed ground-mounted to the correct specification for the riverside location, with the foundation depth and concrete mix suited to the site conditions. The full installation including pole, halyard system and fittings was completed to a high standard befitting the club’s profile and location.

Quintin Boat Club Installed Flag & Flagpole next to Hampshire Flag Van

The Outcome

From order to installation, the entire project was completed in under two weeks. The flagpole now stands at the finish line of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, flying above one of the most celebrated stretches of the Thames. Quintin Boat Club’s refurbished clubhouse has the finishing touch it deserved, delivered on time and to specification.

Our ability to move quickly comes directly from the stock depth we hold. If you need a flagpole installed to a tight timeline, speak to our team about what we have available. In most cases we can offer a faster turnaround than you might expect.

Hampshire Flag Company supplies and installs fibreglass and aluminium flagpoles from 4 metres to 20 metres and above across the UK and internationally. Contact our installations team to discuss your project and get a quotation.

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Posted on March 31, 2026March 31, 2026 by Lewis Bevan — Leave a comment

A New Flagpole for St Edward’s Church Without Disturbing the Churchyard

Installing a new flagpole on a church building sounds like a routine job. At St Edward’s Church in Moreton-in-Marsh, the combination of the building’s height and the surrounding churchyard made it anything but. Hampshire Flag Company installed the new wall-mounted flagpole in December 2025 using rope access techniques, completing the job without a single vehicle entering the grounds.

The Challenge

Churches present a recurring access challenge that is not found elsewhere. The desired flagpole position was high on the church tower, well beyond safe reach from the ground. The obvious solution for any access contractor would be a cherry picker. The equally obvious problem was the churchyard.

Driving a cherry picker through a churchyard is simply not something a church would permit, and rightly so. A scaffold structure large enough to reach the desired flagpole position would have been expensive, time-consuming to erect and highly disruptive to the church and its visitors. The job needed a different approach.

Our Approach

Hampshire Flag Company used rope access techniques to reach the desired flagpole position and carry out the installation. Our operatives worked from height to fix the bracket securely to the church tower and complete the full installation, including the pole, halyard system and fittings, without any ground-level vehicle movement and without disturbing the churchyard in any way.

Rope access is particularly well suited to church buildings and heritage sites precisely because it requires no ground-level infrastructure. There are no vehicles, no scaffold tubes, no base plates and no disruption to the surrounding environment. The operatives reach the work face and carry out the job, and when they are done the site looks exactly as it did before they arrived.

The Outcome

St Edward’s Church now has a new wall-mounted flagpole flying proudly from the tower, installed in December 2025. The churchyard was undisturbed throughout the process and the installation was completed cleanly and efficiently.

We carry out flagpole installations at churches and historic buildings regularly and understand the sensitivities involved. If you have been told that a flagpole installation at your church is not possible due to access, it is worth speaking to us before accepting that answer.

Hampshire Flag Company installs flagpoles at churches, heritage buildings and any site where conventional access methods are impractical. Our rope access capability means we can reach positions that defeat standard contractors, without the cost and disruption of scaffolding. Contact our team to discuss your project.

St. Edwards Church flagpole service site.

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