Renovation of Allerton Castle near Knaresborough (From York Press)

Renovation of Allerton Castle near Knaresborough

9:51am Thursday 21st January 2010

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DR Gerald Rolph stands before the towering stained glass windows in the dining room at Allerton Castle. It’s hard to believe, but five years ago tomorrow these windows were shattered in a devastating blaze which ravaged the north-facing side of Dr Rolph’s stately home near Knaresborough.

Three floors were wiped out in the fire, which started in the servants’ quarters, and left the oak-panelled dining room, state bedroom, Venetian bedroom, conservatory and library in ruins.

More than £4 million has been spent restoring the castle – one of the most important Gothic Revival buildings in the country and a popular wedding venue.

Most of the damage was not covered by insurance, so trustees of the castle had to apply Yorkshire canniness to afford the restoration.

Carving on the replica oak panels for the dining room was done in China, as was the rebuilding of the stone fireplace.

Project manager John Edmonds says: “We would have liked to have had it carved in the UK, but going to China cost less than half price. It’s been superbly carved.”

Nine tons of rubble from the fireplace were sent to Chinese craftsmen, too. Assisted by photographs, they built a replica of the intricate fireplace and shipped it back to North Yorkshire.

But some treasures were irreplaceable. The Venetian bedroom has had to be redesigned because it was impossible to replace the lost furniture.

“So the trustees went to auction and bought a suite from an Arabian palace, which is all gold and quite OTT,” says John. It will now be used as a bridal suite.

Happily, the stained glass windows have been returned to their full glory, thanks to a bit of detective work. Restorers used photographs of the originals along with glass remnants from the blaze.

“To get the colours right, for all the stained glass that fell in the fire, we had to collect it in buckets and send it on,” says John.

In the library, bookcases had to be rebuilt and a new ceiling put in, complete with the a hand-painted grapevine on the cornice.

Five years on, John admits that the owners, staff and trustees of the Grade I-listed property cannot quite believe its resurrection.

After 100 firefighters put out the blaze on that fateful night, John recalls standing in the cellar and looking up through the shell of the building to the sky. Today, his team is putting final touches to the restoration and the house continues to be a popular wedding venue. It is open to visitors, after Easter, on Wednesday afternoons and Bank Holidays (find out more at allertoncastle.co.uk).

John said: “I look at and think: ‘how the hell have we done this’. It’s amazing really. There are some amazing craftsmen out there.”

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