We're protecting Britain's original smart home - one tile at a time. A £1.8 million project is underway to ensure this pioneering Victorian home stands strong for years to come.
The Armstrongs purchased Cragside in 1863 and built a small sporting lodge perched on top of a crag in the middle of a rocky moorland.
The home was extended over three decades by architect Richard Norman Shaw. When the Armstrongs set out to create their dream home, they set quite the challenge. They wanted to keep their original home and develop around it.
The House grew unconventionally. Years of phased extensions, combined with the introduction of Armstrong’s pioneering technologies, resulted in a spectacular design with a intricate footprint and dramatic exterior, topped with a complex roofscape.
The House's position against the crag, coupled with an elaborate multi-roof design does not lend itself to dealing with heavy rainfall and storms. Climate change has exacerbated issues. Longer wetter winters, heavy rain deluges, and more frequent storms overwhelm the water drainage system built for Victorian weather conditions.
The roof is a vast jigsaw with over 100 roof slants and multiple interconnecting roof ridges at different heights. The intricacies of the roof junctions trap water in hard-to-reach-places. Gutters overflow and water runs down the side of the building adding to risk of water ingress, the emergence of salts, rotting timbers and interior leaks. Recent storms, some with wind gusts reaching up to 100mph, have also dislodged and knocked off roof tiles.
If left, these combined issues could weaken the building's structure and cause irreversible damage to the interiors and collections inside the House.
We're working with specialist contractors to repair the roof. It's a mix of terracotta, slate and glass skylights. At its tallest point, the roof is 26-metres (85ft) high and beyond this is a pattern of spiralling chimneys. To reach the roof safely and efficiently we will be installing a significant scaffolding structure. Work will include:
Complete replacement of large rooflights
Flashing is showing signs of failure in some areas. Once it cracks or lifts, the lead can no longer safely guide water into the drainage channels.
The roof is the building's first line of defence. Repairs will increase Cragside's resilience to climate change and ensure that this much-loved House is around for years to come.
This project will halt the deterioration of the roof which in turn will stop water ingress and leaks, protect the interiors and collections from damage, and slow the spread and development of harmful salts in the masonry.
All bat species in the UK are legally protected, so it’s essential that our conservation work does not disturb them during their breeding season. To safeguard the colony, contractors will pause work from the end of May until the start of August to ensure their activities don’t impact breeding.
Seven of Northumberland’s bat species have made the House their home, with an eighth roosting in the surrounding woodland. Together, they make Cragside one of the most significant bat sites in the county.
Regular surveys have recorded Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, Brown Long-eared, Brandt’s, Whiskered, Natterer’s and Daubenton’s bats swooping in and out of more than 140 exit points around the House. Although the exact number of bats tucked away in the building’s many nooks and crannies is difficult to measure, peak counts on warm summer nights have recorded over 100 individuals on the wing.
Bats tend to follow the same flight paths each night, so we’ve built additional space into the scaffolding to ensure they can move in and out of the building freely. You may also notice that the scaffolding hasn’t been wrapped in netting - this is to keep their established routes open and unobstructed.
Scaffolding outside the House
We need to use scaffolding to access the House roof, but this will not impact your visit inside. The Butler's Pantry will be used as a small exhibition space about the project while work takes place. All other rooms are unaffected.
Reversing the Carriage Drive
Usually, visitors begin the journey around the Carriage Drive by driving through the archways at the House but, this won't be possible while repairs take place.
To keep the upper estate open to vehicles with access to walks, lakes, the play area and labyrinth, we are reversing the flow of traffic. But, what this provides, is a unqiue opportunity to experience the drive as the Armstrongs intended.
To access the Carriage Drive, follow the yellow diversion signs from the main car park. You will need to exit the grounds at Dunkirk Car Park and follow the main road back to our entrance to re-access the estate.
We'll be sharing regular updates about the project on this website using the timeline below. You can keep a look out for the latest news on social media channels as well. Find us on Instagram and Facebook using @NTcragside.
We're currently working on information points about the project where you can read more about what's happening, watch videos and listen to pop up talks.
This project has been funded by the National Trust and by generous grants from Wolfson Foundation and Sylvia Waddilove Charitable Trust.
September 2022
In 2022, senior National Trust building surveyors visited Cragside to carry out an extensive conservation condition assessment. The results identified that £6million maintainence plan was needed to carry the works needed to ensure the House is
Building excellence through support for education, science, culture and health.
There will be some changes to your visit while the roof project takes place. Everything you need to know can be found here.
Cragside is often considered to be Britain’s original smart home. Discover more about the creation of Cragside and the people who made the remarkable place we know today.
Illuminated with hydro-electricity and powered by hydraulics, this impressive Arts and Crafts House was designed for modern living and efficiency. Electric light, gravity fed plumbing, water-power machinery and a hydraulic passenger lift provided an unrivalled level of comfort that wowed royalty and guests from all over the world.
