PLANS for extensive refurbishment work at the castle that hosted ITV’s ‘I’m A Celebrity…’ are set to move forward next week.
Kevin Illiot of the Gwrych Castle Trust has applied to Conwy Council’s planning department, seeking permission for the reinstatement of floors and roofs in the Abergele castle’s core, and this is set to be agreed by a committee next week.
The trust received around £2.3m from the National Heritage Memorial Fund two years ago, with additional fundraising money taking their pot to around £2.5m.
The trust now hopes to restore the castle during the next five years, although this depends on more funding being secured.
Once complete, it’s hoped the castle can be used as a wedding venue, prestigious exhibition space for significant museum pieces, and holiday lets.
Predictions are that the castle could employ 200 people during the peak summer season.
If agreed next week, the work will also include conservation-led repair works and removal of high-level vegetation.
The trust has applied to carry out:
- Localised repointing in lime mortar
- A new roof structure, combining a mix of traditional and contemporary structural elements, including the integration of insulation
- Reinstatement of the keep wall and towers and the southern wall of the kitchen courtyard, which previously collapsed
- Reinstatement of roof finishes, with gutters increased in capacity to reflect current rainfall and storm events
- New rainwater goods
- The conservation of the remaining floors and reinstatement of missing floors
- Recording and retention of remaining plasterwork and joinery elements
- New below-ground drainage connections
- Holding/conservation works to the existing window frames and temporary glazing to windows.
The trust says there will be no foul drainage proposed as part of the works.
Speaking in December, chairman of the Gwrych Castle Trust Dr Mark Baker explained said: “This is putting on the permanent roof and all the floors into the main castle.
“This is the major step.
“We’ve been fundraising, and we’ve managed to raise about £2.5m.
“There has been a huge amount of historic research into what the interiors looked like, so all the works that are being done now are preparing for the reinstatement of the castle.
“The roofs and floors are to go back into the main castle, the main house, which will enable public access to the state apartments.
“Then it gives us the launchpad for fitting out the interiors, which will be the next phase of work.”
The plans are set to be discussed by a planning committee at the council’s Bodlondeb HQ on Wednesday 12 March.
