S Range Roof Repairs Finished

These photographs of the repairs to the south range roof were taken by the WMT’s retained architects, Donald Insall Associates, in June 2022. The work was confined to the east end of the north side of the roof, but also included re-glazing a window in the first floor south corridor and repairs to stonework on one of the east buttresses. The photo above shows the east gable on the south front and the adjacent new roof. The gable is topped with a carved eagle, clutching a snake in its claws. Sadly, it is much in need of repair – one wing has cracked off.

The images above show the restored window in the south corridor and fresh stone repairs to a buttress. The windows are in the corridor outside the principal bedrooms in the Mansion and are large with red stained glass. At the time red glass was expensive as gold was needed to produce the colour.

Above: the roof looking east, with Benjamin Bucknall’s distinctive chimney design, used on the south and west fronts of the Mansion.

The view above was taken looking south; the return on the right covers the spiral stair between first and second floors. The photo below is looking west.

Internally, the roof has been torched (the underside of the tiles is covered in lime mortar). This prevents the stone slates from lifting in high winds and ultimately working loose and falling off.