24th September 2025

As Quantity Surveyors on this landmark conservation project, Baker Mallett is proud to have supported English Heritage in safeguarding the 900-year-old keep at Carlisle Castle—an enduring symbol of medieval resilience and cultural significance. This scheme exemplifies how heritage-led restoration can be delivered with precision, sensitivity, and long-term value which was reflected in its Civic Trust Highly Commended AABC Award earlier this year.

Working closely with English Heritage and the wider project team including Buttress Architects, our role was to ensure that every intervention—whether traditional or innovative—was underpinned by robust cost control, procurement rigour, and value-driven decision-making. The keep’s complex challenges, particularly persistent moisture ingress threatening both structural integrity and the rare 15th-century prisoner carvings, demanded a highly coordinated approach.

Advanced survey techniques, including thermal imaging and environmental monitoring, enabled the team to assess the building’s condition without invasive disruption. These insights informed a restoration strategy that balanced historical fidelity with modern resilience—an ethos reflected in the replacement of cementitious mortars with breathable lime mortars, selected for their compatibility with original materials and long-term performance.

Our cost planning supported the integration of concealed drainage systems and lead weathering details—solutions that discreetly mitigate future risks while preserving the castle’s historic character. Throughout, we ensured that conservation priorities were aligned with programme and budgetary constraints, enabling English Heritage to deliver a scheme that was both technically sound and publicly engaging.

The conservation of the prisoner carvings stands out as a triumph of craftsmanship and care. Protective measures during adjacent works, coupled with specialist cleaning and restoration, have safeguarded these artefacts for future generations. We were particularly proud to support the delivery of heritage skills days, site tours, and interpretive signage—initiatives that brought the public into the heart of the project and deepened community connection to the site.

Carlisle Castle Keep now stands renewed—not only as a monument of national importance but as a living classroom for conservation, craftsmanship, and cultural heritage. We are honoured to have played a part in its continued legacy.