Work in Progress

Introduction

Like most stately homes, the Castle has a ‘heritage management plan' and has a structured approach to dealing with all the restoration and conservation work required. From time to time the Castle's Estate Manager can apply for grants to assist with the work; in most cases match funding is required. On the whole the Castle's management plan is funded from Estate enterprises, such as the tourism business and the farm. Therefore, investment can fluctuate according to the economic climate and business performance. In recent years many restoration and conservation projects have got underway:

The Woodland Garden

The gates to the Woodland Garden were built in about 1808 and were decorated with figures by Coade and Seely; for conservation reasons they are now on display in the Terrace Entrance in the Castle.

The Summerhouse is in a poor state of repair. Emergency repairs have been carried out to prevent further deterioration and complete restoration will follow when funds are available.

The Victorian Greenhouse in the Old Kitchen Garden

The greenhouse has been completely restored and ivy removed from most of the walls. The greenhouse was restored from what was a very bad state of repair due to lack of use. Brambles had taken over the inside and a lot of the glass was broken; fortunately most of the timbers were still sound. The work was carried out over 2 years and the greenhouse is now used for growing plants to be sold at the Country Store by the Perfumed Garden.  The whole area is now included in the Castle's tourist complex which means that regular repairs are carried out and the space is enjoyed by many people.

The Belvedere

Despite its derelict condition the building is Grade 2 listed. Stabilisation work to prevent its further deterioration has begun. This work is likely to take 3 years to complete as it can only be realistically done during the summer months. English Heritage are grant aiding the project with the help of capitalised rents from Orange Communications.

The Deer Park

The Deer Park is a well-maintained example of 18th century informal parkland that has changed very little over the years. The Estate has a policy of replacing trees dating from the 18th century that will be lost over the next one to two hundred years. Very often, however, dead trees are retained for the interest of nature conservation. The fact that the area has been very little disturbed provides a measure of protection for birds in particular.

Above: Conservationist Elizabeth Holford restoring a picture frame in the First Library.

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