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Castle Drogo Restoration

Inskip and Jenkins, Exeter, 2007

 

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Aerial view showing Castle Drogo and its grounds 

National Trust (website)     Download Original

  • Aerial view showing Castle Drogo and its grounds    
  • Aerial view from the south    
  • New roof    
  • Original granite roof    
  • Granite roof     
  • Lower ground floor    
  • Ground floor    
  • Lower mezzanine floor    
  • First floor    
  • Upper mezzanine floor    
  • Second floor    
  • Early ground floor plan showing U shaped layout    
  • 1920 sketch of the castle with tower in the foreround    
  • The entrance tower and the     
  • Casle Drogo under construction    
  • Lime staining    
  • Window damage in detail    
  • Fixtures and fitting taken down for restoration    
  • Mahogany panelling temporarily removed from the dining room    
  • Furniture, panelling and art protected from damage during repairs    
  • Mahogany stripped    
  • The timber battens revealed against the solid masonary wall    
  • A lectern displaced by the work in progress    
  • Internal view of the drawing room during restoration    
  • Drawing room during restoration    

Restoration and repair to the roof of the residential castle formerly owned by Edwin Lutyens

The project focused on repair and sought to make additions and improvements that were sympathetic to the original building.

The key to the castle's decay was found in the roofing, commissioned by the then owner, Edwin Lutyens, in 1910. His was a 'cold' roofscape of granite paving slabs which sought unity with the walls, and an overall impression of geological permanence.

The roof design, however, did not allow for insulation, ventilation or thermal movement. Consequently, substantial mould growth and water permeation was discovered in the construction, as well as a lime precipitate on the exterior stonework.

Inskip and Jenkins implemented modern roof technology: a warm deck roof and a waterproofing membrane, to ensure the longevity of their construction. The castle's U shape construction caused this to be a lengthy process.

Data

  • Begun: Jul 2006
  • Completed: May 2007
  • Floor area: 1,303m2
  • Sector: House
  • Total cost: £426,847
  • Tender date: Apr 2006
  • Procurement: JCT IBC 2005
  • Address: Drogo Castle, Drewsteignton, Exeter, EX6 6PB, United Kingdom

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