Starting tomorrow for four days, the Castle is extending a warm welcome to those who are interested in the Conservation Trust's work to date. Here we present a preview of what the public can expect...
In two generations, Ruthin Castle seems to have retreated into itself. Time was when many local children would happily play in the Castle grounds without any discouragement from the management. Now, there seems to be something of an "us-and-them" culture. Few in town seem to want to penetrate beyond the entrance archway. Owners the St Claires actually encourage locals to snoop around, if only we townsfolk realised it. There's still a mistrust and this seems to be perpetuated by a feeling that the owners should be—but are not—doing something about the site's deterioration.
The conservation trust started in March 2016 eventually to try to separate the commercial side of the hotel business from the 13th century & Victorian scheduled ancient monuments & gardens. This is a prerequisite to sourcing funding for a full conservation project. The other aim is to re-establish the links the Castle once had with the town. It could be the start of something exciting... and big.
We have already mentioned that a couple of £100,000 was available to the trust via Cadw to begin the first phase of work: an assessment & stabilisation of the condition of the areas of the Castle outside the immediate control of the hotel itself. A collapse three years ago and the general worsening and deterioration of some structures meant that the important remaining Edward I castle may not actually be with us too much longer.
The assessment required the clearing of vegetation along the important parts of the curtain and other walls. Tuesday 31st will be the last day on site for specialist rope access firm iBex, as it completes its work along the Castle's medieval and Victorian walls. They started in February, though parts had to cease in April for the bird nesting season and iBex completed the initial phase in June.
iBex has therefore removed a substantial part of the vegetation, revealing the true impressiveness of the curtain wall itself but also the extent of its many problems. The ivy, a firm favourite of the Victorians for romantic, decorative purposes, whether on their own follies or the medieval structures, has a desiccating effect on masonry.
On the other hand, other vegetation and root systems are quite the reverse, with moisture also causing damage. Root systems are loosening stonework. With the vegetation removed, Cadw was able to assess what courses of action were required to stabilise the wall and other structures. iBex was again called back to insert pins, braces, netting, shoring and propping, as appropriate, within the curtain wall and along the so-called cloisters and this even included temporary grouting to he coping stones.
At this stage, iBex completed the vegetation removal of other structures, including an inner wall and the substantially Victorian areas just past the entrance. On Wednesday, the firm moves out to a job in Lancashire.
The vegetation will, of course, grow back...
With the stabilisation work nevertheless in place—for now—this will allow the trust to concentrate on bidding for grant funding towards full conversation. This is no easy task but in its favour is the fact that the Castle is the most pressing medieval structure in Wales if not the UK requiring help. The trust has sufficient funds to hire a specialist consultant with an admirable track record in writing bid documents of this type.
This will be a five year project, just to get to the point where grants are available—*if* they are. Thereafter, work should commence to be followed by another phase, the generation of enough income to fund on-going conservation.
Meanwhile, there are parts of the commercial side of the Castle which also need urgent help, including the fabric of the hotel itself.
The dovecote, the pedestrian bridge and the clock tower all need work. A separate project to the scheduled monuments, the trust intends to seek crowd funding from February 2018.
The overall aim is to ensure the grounds are sustainable and to be able to show these off in the same way as other castles in Wales. As such, the project is potentially of immense benefit to Rhuthun/Ruthin, as a kernel that may yet revitalise our whole economy.
In two generations, Ruthin Castle seems to have retreated into itself. Time was when many local children would happily play in the Castle grounds without any discouragement from the management. Now, there seems to be something of an "us-and-them" culture. Few in town seem to want to penetrate beyond the entrance archway. Owners the St Claires actually encourage locals to snoop around, if only we townsfolk realised it. There's still a mistrust and this seems to be perpetuated by a feeling that the owners should be—but are not—doing something about the site's deterioration.
Abseiling to clear vegetation, from right to left, near the Castle's entrance
The conservation trust started in March 2016 eventually to try to separate the commercial side of the hotel business from the 13th century & Victorian scheduled ancient monuments & gardens. This is a prerequisite to sourcing funding for a full conservation project. The other aim is to re-establish the links the Castle once had with the town. It could be the start of something exciting... and big.
Freshly cleared of vegetation and the state of masonry is revealed. Here is a thin section of Victorian walling with heavy stones atop in imminent danger of collapse
We have already mentioned that a couple of £100,000 was available to the trust via Cadw to begin the first phase of work: an assessment & stabilisation of the condition of the areas of the Castle outside the immediate control of the hotel itself. A collapse three years ago and the general worsening and deterioration of some structures meant that the important remaining Edward I castle may not actually be with us too much longer.
Part medieval and part Victorian, notice the collapsed stone at the base of the wall.
The assessment required the clearing of vegetation along the important parts of the curtain and other walls. Tuesday 31st will be the last day on site for specialist rope access firm iBex, as it completes its work along the Castle's medieval and Victorian walls. They started in February, though parts had to cease in April for the bird nesting season and iBex completed the initial phase in June.
Lady de Grey's so-called grave (which, in fact, is just a grotto) is controlled with netting. The idea here would be to clear then to spray the wall with wild flower seeds as a less destructive means of using vegetation to keep the wall fabric together
iBex has therefore removed a substantial part of the vegetation, revealing the true impressiveness of the curtain wall itself but also the extent of its many problems. The ivy, a firm favourite of the Victorians for romantic, decorative purposes, whether on their own follies or the medieval structures, has a desiccating effect on masonry.
The main curtain wall is now largely devoid of vegetation. Where left, its removal would cause harm. The tower A has an unusual base and is believed to be medieval, with Victorian topping. B is the sight of a rock fall three years ago. Note at C the fancy and unusual medieval stonework over the restraining arch near the sally port
On the other hand, other vegetation and root systems are quite the reverse, with moisture also causing damage. Root systems are loosening stonework. With the vegetation removed, Cadw was able to assess what courses of action were required to stabilise the wall and other structures. iBex was again called back to insert pins, braces, netting, shoring and propping, as appropriate, within the curtain wall and along the so-called cloisters and this even included temporary grouting to he coping stones.
The most recently cleared wall is adjacent to the Castle hotel itself near the pedestrian bridge
At this stage, iBex completed the vegetation removal of other structures, including an inner wall and the substantially Victorian areas just past the entrance. On Wednesday, the firm moves out to a job in Lancashire.
The vegetation will, of course, grow back...
The main curtain wall seen from a tower turret. The so-called cloisters above are a Victorian addition. You can now see the 13th century sandstone wall at the foot of the structure
With the stabilisation work nevertheless in place—for now—this will allow the trust to concentrate on bidding for grant funding towards full conversation. This is no easy task but in its favour is the fact that the Castle is the most pressing medieval structure in Wales if not the UK requiring help. The trust has sufficient funds to hire a specialist consultant with an admirable track record in writing bid documents of this type.
Within the so-called cloisters iBex has grouted the upper most castellations and inserted timber shorings and proppings as temporary measures
This will be a five year project, just to get to the point where grants are available—*if* they are. Thereafter, work should commence to be followed by another phase, the generation of enough income to fund on-going conservation.
Belt & braces: this tower is actually becoming detached from the wall. It along with parts of the adjacent wall to the left of the shot are also being undermined