In 2018, an ambitious 3 year, £30m funded project to revitalise and restore the Grade I Listed Nottingham Castle and its grounds, an Ancient Scheduled Monument, was undertaken. Aside from the Ducal Palace and medieval gatehouse being refurbished, accessibility across the site was improved and a new contemporary Visitor Centre designed and built.
A fortified castle has remained on the hill overlooking Nottingham, since the original wooden motte-and-bailey design was constructed by William the Conqueror in 1068. It has an extensive history spanning a tumultuous 1000 years, not only in architecture but culture too. By 1330 it had become a royal palace and was the scene of a bloody coup when supporters of the young Edward III entered the Castle. Clever use of the network of hidden caves under the castle, allowed them to sneak in unsuspected, capturing Queen Isabella and her lover, Roger Mortimer. Mortimer would later be executed as a traitor, while Queen Isabella’s ghost is said to haunt Mortimer’s Hole, the secret cave route into the Castle.
The subsequent years saw royalty change hands, and was the site of many clashes during the English Civil War until it was demolished to thwart further use - just two years after the execution of Charles I.
In the 17th century it was rebuilt as a Ducal Palace for the Duke of Newcastle, and was then burnt down again during the Reform Bill Riots of 1831, until Nottingham Corporation took control and transformed the building into a museum and art gallery. Steadily the building fabric fell into a state of disrepair and required extensive work to reinstate it back to its former grandeur.
Architects Purcell (Nottingham) drew up the specification of works, for this Grade I Listed provincial Baroque Style building. Stonework needed to be restored, the original windows refurbished, reveals made good and their security grilles/trellises removed. To open the gallery space, making it brighter and more inviting, security secondary glazing which met LPS1175 SR3 was to be installed in some of the ground floor windows. This would allow the exhibiting of more prized and valuable collections, as well as meeting the Government Indemnity Scheme requirements.
Selectaglaze worked with main contractor GF Tomlinson, to make sure that the window reveals were strong enough to maintain the integrity of the security secondary glazing. Once all the preparatory work had been completed, six of the windows on the ground floor had two Series 43 demountable fixed lights, coupled beside each other, installed with high-quality laminate glass. The windows in the mezzanine are were not deemed as a risk point, so Series 10 and Series 80 horizontal sliders with 6mm toughened glass were installed to enhance thermal performance and make the space quieter. All the windows required meticulously crafted splayed timber sub-frames in which to fix the units.
As part of the redevelopment, a gorgeous, fragile and exceptional commemorative stained-glass window was restored and reinstated in its original location between the Café and Ducal Palace Galleries. It was originally commissioned to the Camm Brothers to make, to celebrate the opening of Nottingham Castle Museum in 1878. LPS1175 SR3 secondary glazing was installed on one side, as it was deemed to be in a vulnerable point of entry and would also provide protection and assist in keeping it maintained. Due to its size and curved head, four units were coupled together to create a considerate treatment.
With the project complete and new points of interest designed to remember some of the legendary figures associated to the location; visitors will be able to appreciate the castle’s varied history and understand the heritage of this iconic Nottingham site.
Sara Blair-Manning, Chief Executive of Nottingham Castle Trust said, “The transformation that Nottingham Castle has undergone is amazing. We are thrilled with the work that Selectaglaze has carried out, providing protection and preservation whilst ensuring the renovations are sympathetic to the historic architecture – something that is incredibly important to Nottingham Castle Trust.
Nottingham Castle has a rich history, spanning over 1,000 years, so for Selectaglaze to have been able to maintain that history, whilst bringing the site into the 21st century is a real achievement.”
