HTAG Guildford - Castle Keep Information

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Castle Keep Information

The programme of conservation work on the castle keep is almost complete, and it will re-open on Saturday 26 June. The opening ceremony will be at 12 noon.

The conservation work was necessary to repair the stonework and make it more weatherproof, using sympathetic materials which worked with the building, rather than against it. Previous repairs in cement mortar, for example, trapped water in the stones and caused a lot of damage. As the unsuitable pointing was removed, it became clear that there were two phases of building. This was completely unexpected, even though Mary has spent years studying the keep! However, it was not until close examination from the scaffolding was possible that features like this could be seen. Other major discoveries were the king's latrine and the roofline of the first roof. This led to a decision to insert a new roof and floor, at the level of the original ones. The work has also allowed her to be slightly more definite about the date of the keep. There are no documents about its construction, but it was probably in the first half of the 12th century, under Henry I and King Stephen.

The re-discovered crenellations (battlements) from the early phase have been marked out in lime mortar. From this level down the walls have been lightly rendered to suggest the complete rendering which it would have had originally. The rendering protects the stonework from the weather. Some of the original render and whitewash was found at the sides of the crenellations, where it had been hidden when the walls were made higher and the crenellations were filled in. The walls have been repointed with lime mortar and a few stones have been replaced. The large window on the south side has had its central mullion (or column) replaced with a new one. This was the best way to support the stonework of the top of the window, which was very weak, and also restores the original appearance of the window.

The new floor and roof make it possible to do much more with the keep. First, the re-opening is an opportunity to give the keep its original name of 'the great tower' - 'keep' is a 16th century word. The ground floor will house the attendant's desk, and gift shop, with displays on the great tower and the castle as a whole, with a model showing the castle as it may have been in 1300. A new external staircase, on the probable line of the original, will take visitors up to the first floor. This has been plastered as it would have been originally, so that visitors will get an idea of the chamber as it was in the 12th century. The new floor makes it possible to see all the features of this floor: the wardrobe in the north wall, with its newly unblocked latrine, the chapel, the little room in the west wall and the south window with its new mullion. The ante-chapel cannot be entered, to preserve the important carved capitals and the later medieval graffiti, but proper lighting will make them visible for the first time. Visitors will still be able to climb the spiral stairs to the top of the walls.

Buildings are meant to be used, and although there is still a Victorian idea of 'romantic ruins', this can only lead to more and more decay. The recent conservation work has put the tower in good heart, and the roof will protect the walls beneath it. The wall tops above the roof have been rebuilt to shed water. Increased use and weather protection should prolong the life of the tower. It now looks cared for, and fresh, and should be a wonderful attraction for residents and visitors.

The work has been paid for largely by Guildford Borough Council, with a grant from English Heritage, proving that the local authority is 'a Borough that shows pride in its local heritage', as its 'Vision' declares. It has been a great privilege for Mary to work with the highly skilled and dedicated team of conservators from Ingram Consultants and Nimbus Conservation. They are not gnarled old artisans working in a dying tradition, but young men and women trained to understand how buildings 'work' and how to look after them, and how to understand their history.

On the official opening day there will be medieval musicians in costume, and a medieval knight and his family (plus dog) in attendance. There will be a procession in the High Street at 11.00 am and the tower will be opened at 12 noon by the High Sheriff of Surrey, whose predecessors used the tower for courts and for a prison. The Mayor, Councillor Keith Taylor, will introduce the Sheriff. Entry will be free on that day.

Thereafter, the tower will be open every day until the end of September, from 11.00 am to 6.00 pm. In October, November and March it will be open at weekends from, 11.00 am to 4.00 pm, and it will be closed in December, January and February. Entry will be 2.00 for adults, and 1.00 for children, students and ES40s.

The tower will be run by Guildford Museum. Tel. 444751.

Mary Alexander, Curator of Archaeology. May 2004