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Guildford Castle – Guildford

Repair and reinterpretation of medieval keep

Guildford Caste Keep is a scheduled ancient monument, situated in the centre of Guildford on Castle Street. The tower had been abandoned and had been without a roof since the early seventeenth century.

The keep is built of a combination of stones, including chalk, flint, and a small amount of ironstone, but the principal stone is Bargate, which is a calcareous sandstone. The present average height of the castle is 16m above the motte platform and on average measures 13.5 metres by 14 metres on plan. The wall thicknesses vary from 2.4 metres to 3.9 metres.

The conservation of the Castle began in May 2003 and was completed in June 2004. It was a significant project because not only did it involve conservation and repair but also the re-presentation of the Castle and the installation of a roof to provide an exhibition space. Various discoveries were made during the project such as the original Norman merlons which had been filled in and a very well preserved garderobe.

The main conservation work entailed the following:
Removal of the flat concrete screed on the wall heads applied in 1989 and replacement with a rubble core that sheds water on to the exterior elevations
Removal of all organic growth
Conservation and repair of dressed stones
Re - pointing all rubble walls and rendering internally and externally
Dismantling of existing walkway and gallery and re-instating with new stair, kiosk and oak floor

Client: Guildford Borough Council
Consultant: Ingram Consultancy