Set in the breathtaking Howardian Hills of Yorkshire, offering a glimpse of Britain’s glorious bygone days, is the magnificent estate of Castle Howard. PDA Associate Partner Repair Care has found itself playing a vital role in the tale of this theatrical home.
Castle Howard is an awe-inspiring piece of architecture, a Grade I listed building that holds historical treasures inside and out. From William Morris’s designs to tranquil gardens and antique sculptures, the property opened to the public in 1952, and in recent years, the popular Netflix drama, Bridgerton.
Sustaining Heritage
The current custodians of the 320 year old property, 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 at Castle Howard said, “Having previously 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 and her team of eleven 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.
Sustaining Knowledge
With a 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 too.”
Castle Howard has utilised the Trained Contractor Courses Repair Care offers, providing in-depth training to their maintenance team members, including 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.
Sustaining Care
Stephanie continues, “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.”
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.
Stephanie concluded, “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.”
