Warwick Castle to have over £1 million of restoration work

The 1,003-year-old landmark will be having heritage restoration work done throughout the year as part of an on-going programme to preserve and maintain the castle.

First built by William the Conqueror in the 11th Century, the Castle attracts visitors from all over the world.

In addition to stonemasonry work on the castle towers, ramparts and main house, plus fire compartmentation in public areas, the Boathouse, which is located on River Island will be restored to full use as an events venue for wedding receptions and corporate events.

The Boathouse is due to open in early May, ready for the summer season.

Over the last decade, Merlin Entertainment’s, who own the Castle, have spent more than £6 million on the restoration of the the south front, which faces the River Avon.

Last year saw the restoration of the Trebuchet along with the £5 million launch of the Knight’s Village, enabling the castle to offer year-round accommodation, which sees up to 20,000 overnight guests each year.

Nick Blofeld, divisional director at Warwick castle, said: “We are privileged to to be custodians of such an important historic landmark and place the maintenance and preservation of the Castle at the heart of everything we do.

“The original Boathouse was part of the fabric of the Castle and we are therefore delighted that we can restore it in a way that remains true to its original form, whilst also providing a space that our visitors can enjoy.”

The Boathouse, which was built in 1895 to house the then Earl of Warwick’s electric river launches, was destroyed by fire in April 2015.

The owners of Warwick Castle have now engaged a team of Herefordshire-based craftsmen to ensure the new solid oak structure is as authentic as possible.

Mr Blofeld said: “Our new over-water function room is being built by hand, using 150 pieces of timber and traditional mortise and tenon methods that would have been familiar to Victorian joiners.”