Castle Howard was the collective dream of an adventurous and well-travelled Charles Howard, the 3rd Earl of Carlisle and a former sugar trader, marine, and playwright, Sir John Vanbrugh. Although not formally trained, Vanbrugh challenged the norms delving deep into the world of architecture. His defiance earned him the commission to design and build the baroque triumph, Castle Howard. Vanbrugh quickly enlisted the expertise of an emerging baroque architect Nicholas Hawksmoor, laying the foundations of Castle Howard in 1699. It would take a monumental 100 years to complete the build, embodying the lifetimes of 3 Earls.
Not only is Castle Howard an awe-inspiring piece of architecture, it is a Grade 1 listed building that holds historical treasures inside and out. From William Morris’s designs to tranquil gardens and antique sculptures to the stunning Temple of the Four Winds. After enduring the disastrous fire of 1940 and WW2 requisition, Castle Howard opened to the public in 1952. In 1960 the Castle and exquisite grounds were introduced to the world of film and television production, in recent years setting the scene for an Arctic Monkey’s music video and the popular Netflix Original drama, Bridgerton. Today, Castle Howard remains an iconic source of British history for the public to immerse themselves in.
Sustaining Heritage
For over 320 years, 8 generations of the Howard family have resided in this stately home. The current custodians of Castle Howard, Nick, and Victoria Howard, along with their Estate team, are invested in the restoration and preservation of this dramatic building. With the rich history enshrined in Castle Howard, sensitivity to repair is of the utmost importance, coupled with a sustainable solution to solve the impact of aging and environmental stressors. Stephanie Hall-Stead, Head of Built Environment, who joined Castle Howard 3 years ago, brought with her many years of experience, knowledge, and the solution.
“Having worked in the National Trust for 10 years, I was fully aware of Repair Care and had a long-standing relationship with this company which is truly passionate about heritage.” Stephanie Hall-Stead, Head of Built Environment
Stephanie and her team of 11 in-house services began the phased external repair and decoration of Castle Howard’s magnificent windows in 2022, an undertaking that is predicted to continue until 2025. It has not been an easy endeavour, with many obstacles to overcome. However, Stephanie states Repair Care has played and will continue to play a fundamental role in this mammoth restoration project.
Sustaining Knowledge
With the trend of going against the grain embedded in the history of Castle Howard, Stephanie, and her team have followed suit, as she explains,
“Initially, only our Repair Care trained joiners used Repair Care products. We soon realised the benefits of upskilling other members of our team to work with Repair Care’s user-friendly products” Stephanie Hall-Stead, Head of Built Environment.
Castle Howard has utilized the Trained Contractor Courses Repair Care offers, providing in-depth training to their maintenance team members, such as painters and decorators. Investing in the community, Castle Howard has extended this training to external contractors, ensuring the highest standard of timber repairs. It has saved the maintenance team time and money, allowing them to focus on solving other problems they have encountered along the way.
One drama the team discovered was migratory House Martins nesting in the window frames. These red-listed birds are protected and provided a fresh challenge to work around. Getting the hang of a cherry picker to provide access to the repairs proved another test for Castle Howard’s maintenance team. One they overcame, preventing the use of the usual unsightly scaffolding.
Sustaining Care
With such a delicate history to preserve, Castle Howard is determined to restore each window to historical perfection, enlisting the expertise of a paint specialist to discover the original paint colour. However, it is the timber that lies beneath the paint that interests Repair Care, and they have been on hand to provide expert advice, support, and care on repairing and restoring the many ancient timber windows.
“Repair Care has been invaluable, providing numerous onsite visits and advising us on the correct products to use, whether it’s Dry Flex ® 4 for repairs and splicing, Dry Flex ® 1 for when the pressure is on, or Dry Flex ® SF 2-in-1 for fine surface filling. They have guided us along the way, and it feels like nothing is too much for them.” Stephanie Hall-Stead, Head of Built Environment.
After speaking with Stephanie, it seems pretty clear that Castle Howard is not alone in challenging how things are done. In this fast-paced world of profit and consumption, Repair Care shines like a beacon to the past. Their ethos of repairing and restoring over replacing enables the preservation of many historical buildings throughout Britain, allowing us to explore and enjoy the rich history of long ago. But it is in the present day that Stephanie holds the highest esteem for Repair Care.
“Repair Care is a unique company in that it doesn’t all end at the transaction of goods. They are approachable and provide genuine after-care. It is clear to me that their passion is not just for the use of their fantastic products but for the end product, seeing each project through to completion. “ Stephanie Hall-Stead, Head of Built Environment.
Castle Howard has stood the test of time and through the support of many passionate people, will stand strong for many more years to come. As for a future with Repair Care, Stephanie has confirmed that their relationship is solid. With many more timber repairs to go, Repair Care will be by Castle Howard’s side until the final splice is completed.
