Often described as the finest Mediaeval Castle in
England,Warwick encompasses both a scheduled
monument and a range of Grade 1 listed buildings.
The owners take great pride in the care and
conservation of this Historic Building while
allowing maximum public access and the provision
of numerous attractions.
The work carried out has included re-roofing the
Domestic Range and the Ghost Tower using sand
cast lead, and the re-roofing of the Great Hall using
Westmorland slates in diminishing courses.
The re-covering of Guy’s Tower was quite a
different project as it is accessible to the
public. Following the removal of the
defective asphalt surface of the Tower the
original stone roof was found.This was repointed
and protected with a lime mortar
screed before being covered by a waterproof
membrane, the final finish to the roof being
riven York Stone paving. Some of the stone
flagged wall walks have also been repaired
and re-laid incorporating a discreet drainage
system.
One particularly fascinating project that was
undertaken was the supplying and fitting of
an oak spiral staircase in one of the Castle’s
towers.This consisted of seventy one treads,
all of which had to be set out to allow
maximum head room whilst giving access to
each of the four floors before arriving at roof
level.The soffit of the stairs was lined out
with timber lath and finished in limewashed
plaster. Finally the walls of the stairwell were
decorated with an oil-bound distemper.
The Spy Tower staircase has also had major repair
work carried out to its structure, made necessary
by the large amount of foot traffic that it has to
endure.
The carrying out of major works to the Stable
Restaurant, now known as the Coach House, was a
challenge both in terms of meeting the tight
programme set and in achieving both the architect’s
and client’s requirements to create a restaurant for
the 21st Century within the architectural
framework of the Castle.The black and white stone
floor of the entrance is particularly striking.
Other projects have included the landscaping of the
Ethelfleda’s Mound, underpinning the garden
buildings and fire compartmentation
works within the castle. Replacement
of stone-work and re-pointing of areas
of masonry are also regular features of
the work, and matching the mortars
and fabric of the original buildings is a
constant and rewarding task.