Tamworth Borough Council has appointed specialist conservation firm Messenger to deliver a \u00a31.9m restoration programme at Tamworth Castle.<\/p>\n
The project is being funded through \u00a31.7m from Arts Council England\u2019s Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), alongside almost \u00a3191,000 from the council.<\/p>\n
The works will focus on urgent structural and environmental improvements aimed at protecting the Grade I-listed building and the artefacts housed within it, including items from the Staffordshire Hoard.<\/p>\n
Messenger, which specialises in the restoration and conservation of heritage buildings, will act as principal contractor on the scheme. The business has previously worked on projects including Leicester Cathedral, Weeting Castle and Earlham Hall, and is currently completing works at Newark Castle Gatehouse.<\/p>\n
The programme will include repairs to historic drainage systems, roof restoration works, stabilisation of structural movement and repairs to unsafe masonry, alongside measures to improve environmental conditions for museum collections.<\/p>\n
The council said the project has been structured in phases to allow Tamworth Castle to remain largely open to visitors during the works, with opportunities for the public to engage with the conservation programme where possible.<\/p>\n
Councillor Lewis Smith, Tamworth Borough Council\u2019s portfolio holder for people services, engagement and leisure, said: \u201cAppointing Messenger is a significant step for the project. Their specialist conservation expertise, combined with an understanding of how to work with historic buildings of this complexity, gives us real confidence as we move into the next phase.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a straightforward construction project, it will require a collaborative approach from a wide team of specialists, working together to give our castle the love and care it needs, while keeping as much of it open to visitors as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cMessenger demonstrated a strong appreciation of those challenges and how to manage them. We\u2019re looking forward to welcoming the team on site in the coming weeks to begin this vital programme of work, which will help protect both the building and the important collections it houses for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ian Bird, regional director of Messenger said: \u201cIt\u2019s a real privilege to work on a local building of this stature both for our management team and local workforce. Repairing and conserving these buildings is vitally important and will give us an opportunity to engage with local people and the construction college to help train and expose students to this little-known construction sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look forward to working with the castle staff and project team in delivering long lasting solutions to some of the current problems faced with the castle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tamworth Castle was added to the Heritage at Risk Register in December 2023, helping secure the investigations and funding needed to address underlying structural issues affecting the site. Contractors are expected to begin work in the coming weeks following initial project meetings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Work is set to begin in the coming weeks after Tamworth Borough Council appointed heritage specialist Messenger<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":266702,"featured_media":2111570,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"coauthors":[127717],"class_list":["post-2111569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property","tag-featured-story","tag-staffordshire"],"yoast_head":"\n