Project

Through the Roof - FuturepROOFing Coughton

Coughton Court with Phase 2 scaffolding | © National Trust/Amy Bromage

Coughton Court is going 'Through the Roof' with a £3.3m conservation project to preserve, repair and improve our building’s façade and roof.

Through the Roof – What is it?

As part of the National Trust’s commitment to conservation, we are undertaking a significant £3.3 million restoration roof project right here at Coughton Court. This multiple year project began in September 23 and will run until 2025 seeing key sections of the roof restored, and essential repairs as well as improvements also taking place across the fabric of the property.

This is the biggest conservation investment by the National Trust at Coughton Court with the project being funded by the charity’s members, supporters and donors with grant funding donated by The Wolfson Foundation.

Not only is the project allowing essential work to take place but will also be providing a new unique experience for our visitors. Visitors will have the ability to witness first-hand the roof work taking place with visitor friendly scaffolding. This is an experience that will allow our visitors to see the behind scenes action and will also provide spectacular views across the surrounding area.

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Introduction to ‘Through the Roof’ at Coughton Court

Discover more about the £3.3 million conservation project taking place at Coughton Court in Warwickshire.

Through the Roof - Why is restoring the roof so important?

During 2016 a Quinquennial Inspection of Coughton Court took place with the report highlighting serious concerns regarding the fabric of the building. However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic the project to rectify these issues was delayed. In 2022 a further feasibility study took place reporting considerable damage to the roof across the entire property. As this now provided an unavoidable risk to the historic collection being damaged and years of deterioration.

Through the Roof will restore Coughton’s roof through external and internal repairs including repairs to internal guttering, stone and window work to prevent flooding within the building. All the repairs and conservation will ensure that the property continues to stand for years to come and allow future generations to enjoy.

Did you know?

At Coughton most of the drainage systems are internal meaning that when they overflow due to heavy rain, they run down the inside walls.

‘We are excited to be working on the “Through the Roof” project at Coughton Court which will help safeguard Coughton and its highly significant collection. Any major project will impact how the site is presented; this however will be a rare opportunity to see a more behind the scene’s look at Coughton. We are working hard to create new experiences for visitors whilst the site is undergoing this work. Conservation is a key value in the work that we do, and these works are important to ensure we secure Coughton’s legacy for generations to come.’

A quote by Gurminder KenthNational Trust/North Warwickshire General Manager

Through the Roof - Who is restoring the roof?

The work is being completed by specialist group of contractors who will be re-using historical materials wherever possible. Some of our specialists include conservation stonemasons, glaziers and lead work specialists. All working to restore the façade and roof to its former glory.

We also have a dedicated team of volunteers and staff members ensuring the smooth running of both the house and grounds throughout the project. Thanks to this dedicated team the house and grounds will remain accessible to everyone during open seasons for the visitors to enjoy.

What are phases of the Through the Roof Project?

Phase 1 – Autumn 2023 until Spring 2024 will see the South Wing’s first half of the roof repair and façade improved

Phase 2 – Running from Spring 2024 until Summer 2024 will see the tower repaired, visitor viewing platform erected and façade repaired.

Phase 3 – Running from Autumn 2024 until Winter 2024 will see the North Wing roof repaired.

Phase 4 – The final phase of the project will take place in the Winter 2024 – Spring 2025 and will see the second part of the South Wing roof above the Saloon completed and repaired.

Two Brown long-eared bats, Plecotus auritus, hanging upside down — Brown long-eared bats | © National Trust Images / Chris Damant

Through the Roof - The Bats

As part of the Through the Roof project, not only are we conserving the collection and the property, but also the bat roosts that have called Coughton Court home for generations. The project will provide a more suitable environment for the future by reducing water ingress via repairing damage to the roof, and using bat-safe materials to ensure all our resident species can thrive for generations to come.

Phase 4

Ahead of works commencing on Phase 4, we need to make sure our resident bats have migrated for the winter. During the winter months, bats leave Coughton Court to hibernate in darker, smaller spaces such as tree trunks and caves, which allows our contractors to work on our roof spaces until the bats return in the spring. This October, our project ecologist visited site to confirm the bats had left their summer roosts, allowing us to start preparations for our final phase of works.The bats have left their summer roosts and the final phase of work can begin.

Did you Know?

Coughton Court is home to four separate bat species occupying various roosts around the property.

Want to dive deeper into the Through the Roof project?

From 29 February visitors are invited to immerse themselves into the new interactive Through the Roof exhibition.

Located in the Coach House visitors can dive deeper into the £3.3 million project learning all about the behind the scenes secrets. Hear from the experts that are supporting the project in the new behind the curtain video. Explore life as a Coughton Court bat in the new bat cave complete with sounds and smells. Witness the fascinating finds and samples from the project including bricks, slates and tiles.

Through the roof in the media

The Through the Roof: FuturepROOFing Coughton Court project has featured in the climate adaption report that the National Trust has put together highlighting how more frequent heavier rain plus the natural wear and tear of an historic building has contributed to the need for a project such as this to take. As part of this the Coughton Court project team have been featured on various new outlets from the BBC breakfast programme to the Channel 5 news.

The BBC article can be found here.

There are so many things going on during the Project

We will share some images here to give you a peek into the work going on.

Saloon roof stripped

Phase 4 progresses as the Saloon roof is now fully stripped. Some minor structural repairs need to be carried out before new battens are put on ready for re-instatement in the new year. Tag a tile will be happening on 13 - 14 December. Visit out Events page for further information.

360 view from visitor scaffold

The visitor scaffold has reopened and now visitors will be able to see a 360 view from the top of the house until the end of the season. The visitor scaffold has reopened and now visitors will be able to see a 360 view from the top of the house until the end of the season. You will be able to see more of the completed work as well as scaffolding being erected ready for Phase 4 as soon as the bats have left for their winter habitat. Free to members and normal admission applying to non-members. All visitors to the Viewing Platform will be subject to health and safety instruction, protective equipment is provided and required to climb the scaffolding. Children under the age of 14 will need to be accompanied by an adult.

Reopened Tower Room

We are happy to announce that the Tower Room has now re-opened. The room has been designed to reflect its history as a space that would have been used by the family to practice their religion. With the priest hole situated in this room already, we want to focus on these features of religiosity. As the room is an inaccessible space to many, we wanted to focus on the stories this room already offers. We have created stained glass on Perspex from reference images from both churches. Additionally, we are including Tudor church music and frankincense in order to draw on as many senses as possible to evoke feelings of calm and reflection. By dressing the room in this way, we hope visitors can use this space to reflect on how significant the Catholic faith was to the Throckmorton’s, the lengths they sought to defend their faith and the dangers of them doing so. The refectory table has been put back, with plenty of room for visitors to sit and enjoy a different space.

Phase 3 scaffolding

As the Phase 3 scaffold rises up our Project Manager, Architect & specialists are assessing the building up close so we can have all the plans in place for the autumn start. As this roof was replaced 30 years ago we only need to do repairs rather than full replacement but we’ll be doing a lot of work to windows, timber frame and plaster panels and render.

Conservation of Blind Windows

Alex Carrington, our conservator, has recently completed conservation repairs to the coat of arms, gilded lettering, and carved spandrels which decorate our Gatehouse. Previously damaged by the affects of increased rainfall, these decorative pieces can now continue to be enjoyed for generations to come. Alex is now moving on to conserving our blind windows. Blind windows were used on buildings up to the 19th Century to give the visual affect of a window, without being subject to window taxes.

Scaffold Welcome area at Coughton Court — The first step to the tower | © National Trust/Bill Alloway

Visitor Viewing Platform

Visitors now have the chance to grab a hi-vis and hard hat and climb the 88 steps to the top of the scaffolding. Once there, they will be greeted with stunning views of the Coughton Court estate and the surrounding Alcester countryside. Visitors will have the opportunity to witness specialists working on the Tower roof throughout the open season. The Viewing Platform will be open from 11am on open days between May – August 2024 with normal admission applying to non-members. All visitors to the Viewing Platform will be subject to health and safety instruction, protective equipment is provided and required to climb the scaffolding. Children under the age of 14 will need to be accompanied by an adult.

Turret being stripped out at Coughton Court, Warwickshire — Turret being stripped out at Coughton Court | © National Trust/Simon Pickering

Turret Stripping

Rotten timbers and the waterproof seals are being removed ready for renewal and replacement. The gutters were not well designed for heavy rain. Our archaeologists are recording the different turret interiors before the roofs are replaced & our architects have redesigned the turret gutters to futureproof them.

Dismantling the wooden platform

Now the roof is on the specialist contractors have begun dismantling the old wooden platform that sat on the lead roof. As part of the project we plan to not only replace the roof itself but also install a new permanent visitor platform that will be accessed from the main tower’s internal stairs.

Replacement Chandelier

A couple of weeks ago we acquired this brass chandelier from Canons Ashby. Although structurally sound it’s become tarnished from its time in a leaky barn before we got it. Our collections team had to clean the chandelier to remove the dried dirt and bird poop from all the surfaces. Then it was carefully polished & an electrician rewired the whole chandelier, replacing all the light fittings. Once cleaned the chandelier was carefully lifted up onto the scaffolding to be hung above the staircase. When moving complicated and heavy pieces of historic furniture the team carefully consider the whole process, plan the route & only then actually move it in place.

Exhibition Space in the Coach House | © National Trust/Amy Bromage

New Exhibition Space Opening

Little notes

As part of the wall panel restoration and extensive wooden structure repairs there are a lot of different craftspeople onsite. Our Architect visits regularly to review progress and to help them problem solve so they like to leave little notes and questions dotted over the wall for the Architect to review.

Future proofing

As part of future proofing the roof for the impacts of Climate change our Architect designed and the planners approved some new rainwater downpipes in the courtyard. Here is one of the new outflows from the roof gutter that will take water into a new downpipe and reduce the risk of the internal attic gutters becoming overwhelmed and flooding the house interior. The outflow can be seen in the top left hand corner.

Last job before chimney scaffold removal at Coughton Court, Warwickshire — Last job before chimney scaffold removal | © National Trust/Simon Pickering

The last job before the chimney scaffold was removed

The last job before the chimney scaffold was removed was for the contractors to add new wire cages and bird deterrents over the chimney pots. Coughton is home to large Jackdaw and Crow colonies and both love to drop sticks and twigs down the chimneys - material that pests like moths and carpet beetles love to lay eggs in, both these bugs then like to start munching on our tapestries and fabrics inside the house so deterring them is important.

New laths in place

Where plaster wall panels have become too unstable to keep they’ve been carefully removed and new laths have been nailed in place for traditional lime based plasters to be applied. The thick lime plasters are pushed against and through the pieces of wood so it all gets anchored together before layer after thin layer of plaster is applied to build up a smooth thick surface that will be weatherproof.

Building changes

The Archaeologists have also been recording the roof structure before the tiles start to go back on. Here you can see the old roof line in the steeper angled A frame of the roof joists below the central ridge beam. Later the roof was raised and made a shallower angle, the more gently sloping timbers slightly higher, along the front of the house.

Damaged render at Coughton Court, Warwickshire — Damaged render at Coughton Court | © National Trust/Simon Pickering

Damaged rendering will be replaced

As part of the major conservation and repair project areas of the damaged render, and any 1970s concrete “repairs”, are being looked at by our mortar specialist craftspeople. With the worst areas cleared off you can see the laths the original lime render was applied to (as well as the carved 17th/18th century bargeboards above). The lime mix they use will have to be very carefully coloured matched - a tricky task as the render will dry a different colour than the wet mix.

Blocked up Windows

With the roof stripped off the archaeologists are busy piecing together the story the building can tell of how it has changed over the years. From inside the open roof they can see these blocked up windows - filled in when the house was made to look more Gothic and castle-like in 19th century.

Tag a Tile

Following the highly successful tag a tile event in December 2023, Coughton Court is giving visitors more opportunities to become part of the property’s 600-year history. Taking place on the 10 & 11 February visitors will have the chance to tag a tile during their visit. For £20 guests can leave their mark on recycled tiles taken from roof with a personalised message to be reinstated on the roof once completed. (1 tile per purchase and admission applies for non-members).

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Latest updates

December 24

Tower re-emerges from scaffolding

The remainder of Phase 1 scaffolding is being removed. Phase 2 scaffold removal has revealed the front tower for the first time since February this year. In Phase 3 the carpenters continue to work on the rendering, the roofers laying the slate roof and the window specialists finishing their work.

Following the removal of the plasterboard ceiling the internal scaffolding has been built in the Panel Dining Room so that the repairs can begin.Replacement of 5 badly damaged plaster panels in the old panelled dining room ceiling has begun. The completion of this work is something to look forwrd to seeing when when we reopen for the new season.

Archaeologists have visited to check that there there is nothing that will cause problems with Phase 4.