Friday, July 28, 2006


Alternative Plan July 06 by Ruperra Conservation Trust.

Readers are directed to the restoration of Lulworth Castle by English Heritage over a twenty year period

1. Immediate and urgent
1.1 Castle - grants from HLF and Cadw and others. (Three separate structural surveys are completed and available)
· Scaffolding with a sheet roof
· Tie in walls, secure standing towers and remains of fallen one.
· Begin archaeological clearance and survey of the inside and basement of the castle.
1. 2. Out buildings
· Old workshops including smithy and kitchen greenhouses repaired and converted into education blocks for immediate use in conjunction with conservation work in Coed Ruperra which the Trust owns. Grants from relevant funders.
· Stable Block - convert into holiday lets either Bed and Breakfast or Self Catering. Grants from Tourist Board. Upgrade services. Stables on west side kept as hunting museum. Large ground floor room on east side converted into kitchens.(as during the war)
· Bothy Repaired and used as management offices with live in accommodation for caretaker to protect the site.
· Car parking – outside each block as needed during this time
1.3. Road Access
· For immediate work on site, heavy vehicles already use the drive at the back of the Castle. After this there would be negotiation with the County Council Highways Department bearing in mind that Ruperra Conservation Trust already owns the woodland which has access off the Draethen – Michaelstone Road.
·
2 To start within two years.
2.1 Castle
· Rebuild fallen tower, restore Banqueting Hall for receptions and other hiring purposes and connect to a usable kitchen – basement perhaps.
· Make basement suitable for car parking but separate from proposed kitchen area
2.2 Outbuildings
· Generator Block a designated bat house repaired with grant aid from the Vincent Trust.
2.3 Historic garden
· Listed glasshouses. Free survey on offer. Grants from Cadw and HLF to begin restoration. Employment opportunity and visitors pay to watch work in progress.
2.4 Enabling development
· South west of Castle are footings of kennels. Convert into eco residences either for sale or for holiday lets. New build of similar eco housing attached to a new wall around the southern edge of the parkland.
· Sewage works – Victorian, in good condition – reuse as septic tanks.

3 Future ongoing work possibly extended over twenty years to spread the cost.
3.1 Castle
· Ground Floor rooms - exhibition galleries, memorial museum for Welsh soldiers of WWII, (lacking in South Wales) conference and private events, visitor centre in one tower with access to the view at the top.
· Restore the cantilevered staircase as a visitor attraction and for access to one or two restored first floor rooms also with access from visitor tower.
3.2 The Grounds
· Gardens - restore as historical features – 17th terraces, to 20th Edwardian gardens Tourism and organic production. All aspects of historic gardens as a paying visitor attraction
· East of gardens, a wild flower meadow and tourist trail continuing from Coed Ruperra through gardens via the little summerhouse in the corner of the grounds.
· West of castle replant parts of the avenue of oaks, create sculpture park, restore deer sheds, tourist trail.

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