After an extensive nine-year, $15.5 million conservation project, England’s last castle has been preserved.
Built in Dartmoor, Devon, between 1911 and 1932, Castle Drogo had significant structural issues that caused significant leaks and water damage.
Its extensive restoration got underway in 2013 after owners made a fundraising appeal to the National Trust for assistance in restoring England’s newest castle to its former splendor.
According to Tim Cambourne of the trust, the $15.5 million project involved “conservation work on a massive scale.”
Over an area roughly the size of two football fields, he stated, “We have now erected a high-tech roof system.”
“A new two-layer membrane intended to cope with the extremes of weather encountered on Dartmoor now works alongside freshly engineered roof gullies to accept the heavy Dartmoor rainfall preserving the castle from water damage,” reads a sign on the castle.
The carpets and blinds in the castle were restored and the interior was thoroughly cleaned.
In order to restore the castle “to a family home and bring to life the Lutyens-designed masterpiece,” the trust claimed it unearthed the original collection.
The castle’s future has finally been guaranteed, according to general manager Heather Kay.
She remarked, “It is recognized as a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture.”
It is a location where visitors may enjoy spending time with their families while also exploring the castle and formal gardens.
Up until October 30th, the castle will be open every day.
Edwin Lutyens, one of the most coveted British architects in the first part of the 20th century, created the castle.
Retail tycoon Julius Drewe had it constructed as an ancestral family house because he wanted it to have a view of Dartmoor.
The dining room stairwell’s opposing walls include photos of the building’s original owners, Julius and Frances Drewe.
The castle’s interior is filled with artifacts, including a tapestry designed for Louis XIV.
2,355 granite stones weighing a combined 680 tonnes had to be removed and then replaced in order to lay the new waterproof system.
This required disassembling and reassembling substantial portions of the castle walls including complete battlements.
The structure has undergone a complete repointing.
A better lime-based mortar was used to replace the damaged cement pointing.
The staggering 60,000 meters, or 42 miles, of new pointing that is necessary.
All 913 of the windows have now been disassembled, renovated, and resealed.