Future Secure For Historic Castle
15/1/07
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FUTURE SECURE FOR HISTORIC CASTLE
THE future of one of the Borders oldest monuments has been secured following crucial conservation work.
Newark Castle, the oldest monument on the Duke of Buccleuch’s Bowhill Estate, is at the centre of a major preservation project.
And after a year of painstaking work, the first phase of repairs has been completed on the 1465 Castle.
Martin Purvis, Building Services Manager for Bowhill, said the completion of the first phase of work had helped stabilise the Castle to enable future repairs to be carried out safely.
He said: “The stone walls have been strengthened and prepared to be pinned to allow conservation work to be carried out.
“It is a painstaking process but it is progressing, albeit slowly, to ensure the project is sensitively handled and each stage is carefully documented.
“It will take years to reverse the damage of centuries but progress is steadily being made”.
Now still shrouded in scaffolding, Newark Castle has been stabilised, though the Duke says there are no plans to replace the roof removed nearly 350 years ago, when the last ancestor to live here was Anne Duchess of Monmouth and Buccleuch.
Much of the stonework has been repaired and visible improvements can clearly be seen already.
Vegetation, some of which is actually holding some of the stonework in place, but ruining the integrity of the Castle, will be removed at a later date and the walls secured.
Work started last January after careful monitoring revealed a marked deterioration in the Castle.
The project is being funded by the Duke of Buccleuch and his family and Historic Scotland are being kept closely informed throughout each stage of the project.
Mr Purvis said it was important to the Buccleuch family that all conservation work on the Castle remained true to original details and construction to help protect the integrity of the building.
He said: “We will be conserving the Castle to ensure it is around for centuries to come and there is little point in carrying out such a project unless we remain true to the original structure”.
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