Milestone for work to save Astley Castle

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Restoration work at a 13th century former stately home has reached a significant milestone with work ongoing to secure the building.



Huge lintels have been lowered into the ruins of Astley Castle in Warwickshire to save the building from collapse.

The building is undergoing a £2.5m restoration and the lintels mark the halfway stage. Work is due to finished in autumn next year.

The castle has been home to three Queens, including Lady Jane Grey.

Elizabeth Woodville, Queen consort of Edward IV, and Elizabeth of York, Queen consort of Henry VII, have all lived there.

Project manager Dave Marsh said the castle's restoration had to be one of the most complex and fascinating projects in the UK.

"The 4 tonne, 7 metre long concrete girders, manufactured in Bury St Edmunds, will be lifted up to a height of 20 metres over the surrounding landscape and then transported over 50 metres and placed inside the existing castle walls using a giant crane," he said.

The castle was being used as a hotel when it was devastated by a fire in 1978.

Funding for the restoration has come from the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage and private individuals.

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Restoration work completed at Astley Castle



Restoration work to save a former stately home in Warwickshire from collapsing has been completed.

Grade II listed Astley Castle, near Nuneaton, was destroyed by fire in 1978 and has been given a £2.7m refurbishment.

The 13th Century castle, which has been home to three Queens of England, has been given a modern interior and new footpaths.

The building will open as holiday accommodation for eight people.

It was cited by English Heritage in 2007 as one of the 16th highest priority buildings at risk in England.

Old and new walls

The Landmark Trust, a buildings preservation charity, held an architectural competition to introduce modern living accommodation into the ruins.

The competition was won by Witherford Watson Mann Architects with a scheme that uses the most ancient part of the castle for the new accommodation and ties together and protects the three most ancient walls.

Bricks have been used to stitch new walls into the ancient masonry.

The funds for the project have been raised from grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage and charitable trusts and individuals.

Open days for members of the public, schools and local groups will also be held regularly, with the first two on 15 and 16 July.

Caroline Stanford, historian at the Landmark Trust said: "This building has been in continuous occupation for 1,000 years.

"Its inhabitants have seen and shaped the course of British history, but without intervention the building would have been lost forever."

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Astley Castle wins Britain's biggest architecture award



The restoration of an ancient building on the outskirts of Nuneaton has been heralded with Britain’s biggest architecture award.

Astley Castle was judged tops in a the Royal Institute of British Architects’ highest accolade - a competition labelled “the Oscars of architecture”.

The moated manor, which dates back 1,000 years and has links with three English Queens, was gutted by fire in 1978 but has now been transformed into luxurious holiday accomodation.

The ambitious £2.3 million project was taken onboard by the Landmark Trust charity, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and an innovative design by London-based Witherford Watson Mann Architects to create a contemporary setting within the original outer walls.

It was chosen from six shortlisted buildings to win the Sterling Prize, after also topping a BBC website poll. RIBA president Stephen Hodder said: “Astley Castle is an exceptional example of how modern architecture can revive an ancient monument. Rather than a conventional restoration project, the architects have designed an incredibly powerful contemporary house which is expertly and intricately intertwined with 800 years of history.”

Mr Hodder added: “Every detail has been carefully considered, from a specific brick pattern to the exact angle of a view, resulting in a sensually rich experience for all who visit. It was realised in true collaboration between a visionary client, designer and contractors.”

Astley Castle, situated amid rolling countryside overlooking a village church and the Arbury Estate, beat off competition from an eclectic entry that included the Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre in Northern Ireland and Park Hill, a renovated 1960s estate in Sheffield.

Once home to the aristocratic Grey family, the castle gained Grade II listed status in 1951 and at one time housed a commercial hotel. After suffering a devastating fire and being targeted by vandals, the building stood in a state of collapse before being rescued by the Landmark Trust.

With four bedrooms and two bathrooms on the ground floor and an open-plan lounge and kitchen above, offering picturesque views, the accomodation is available for letting - but is fully booked until 2015.

Now in its 18th year, the Stirling Prize is awarded to the best new building constructed in the European Union and designed in the UK. This is the first time Witherford Watson Mann has been shortlisted and the company’s previous designs include the Amnesty International UK headquarters and the Whitechapel Art Gallery extension in London.