Meet the builders day at Castle Drogo

Visitors to Castle Drogo will get the opportunity to learn more about the ongoing building work to make building water tight on 27 May.

In 2013 one of the largest projects ever undertaken by the National Trust began at Castle Drogo.

The castle has suffered major structural problems ever since completion which has resulted in serious leaks and water penetration throughout the building. If the decision to undertake extensive conservation had not been taken, the castle would eventually have become inaccessible and this national treasure would have been lost forever. The project involves installing a new waterproof system on the roof, refurbishing the 913 windows and replacing over 60,000 metres of pointing.

During the ‘meet the builders day’ visitors will be able to talk to some of the specialist who are currently working on the castle. There will be displays, demonstrations and activities throughout the day including the chance to have a go at pointing a wall and putting together a window.

There will be some very special ‘behind the scene’ tours up onto the building site throughout the day (£2 per person). Places on these tours are limited and height and age restrictions apply. Visitors will also need to wear stout cover footwear.

The viewing tower will be open on the day (subject to weather, restrictions apply) giving people the chance to look down onto the roof and see the building work taking place.

Visitor Experience Manager, Rebecca Glover, said: "It’s an exciting time for us at Castle Drogo as the building project is now in full swing and we are really pleased to be able to give visitors the opportunity to share the journey with us.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about what is going on at Drogo at the moment and to meet the people who are involved."