Orford Castle re-opens following £1 million repairs
The works took almost a year to complete
Orford Castle, in Suffolk, is now open to the public following a £1 million repair and conservation project.
Conservation work to the 12th century castle has taken almost a year to complete and has been 13 years in the planning.
Shelley Garland, Senior Properties Curator, English Heritage East, said: “Orford Castle is an incredibly important Suffolk landmark – not only due to its historical significance, but because of how much it means to the residents of Orford.
"We have been so grateful for their support throughout the project, particularly as the measures we have needed to take - following years of trials to find the best method and materials - have led to a change of appearance of the castle. However, the interventions have preserved Orford Castle now and for future generations.”
The repairs were carried out by PAYE Stonework and Restoration, a heritage conservation company who've worked on Windsor Castle and the Palace of Westminster.
Mike Brennan, PAYE’s Masonry Foreman, said: “Working at Orford has been an immense privilege. It’s been incredibly hard work, but we’ve loved every minute of it. The entire team will remember the experience for a long, long time and we’re pleased to have played our part in protecting this beautiful structure.”
Restoring the castle
Orford’s castle walls were constructed almost 1,000 years ago, for King Henry II, around 1165, using a delicate local mudstone and have been deteriorating since the 16th century.
Intervention became necessary with the risk of falling masonry and significant deterioration of the castle’s exterior, which had become brittle due to erosion over time from gusting winds, rain and sea spray.
The castle was built from three materials – Barnack stone from Lincolnshire, Caen stone from Normandy and the majority was Septaria, a locally sourced ‘mudstone’.
A significant amount of this Septaria stone had been lost in the 800 years since the castle was built. Research indicated that the keep walls have been deteriorating since the 16th century, and there had been various attempts at restoration over the centuries, including in the 18th and 19th centuries and after the Second World War.
A reliable source of Septaria is no longer available, so following 13 years of conservation research, trials and consultation, it was decided that the best approach was to cover the castle exterior with a self-coloured render, to protect it, and to prevent further loss of Septaria. Stabilisation of the stonework required the filling of some deep voids.
Some localised supplies of Septaria were used for some of the bigger repairs, alongside the reuse of some stone which had been salvaged from falls and reinstated in the castle. Following repairs, the protective render was applied in a single coat, with an extensive curing process to ensure a long, slow set.