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Castle Drogo: England's 'last castle' restored after nine years

National Trust Drogo CastleNational Trust
The new roof system covers an area "roughly equivalent to two football pitches"

Conservation work on the last castle to be built in England has been completed after nine years.

Castle Drogo, built on Dartmoor, Devon, between 1911 and 1932, had suffered "major structural problems" resulting in serious leaks and water damage.

Its restoration began in 2013 after a fundraising appeal was launched by owners the National Trust.

The project cost £15.5m and was "conservation work on a monumental scale", the trust's Tim Cambourne said.

"We have now installed a high-tech roof system over an area roughly equivalent to two football pitches," he said.

"A new two-layer membrane, designed to cope with the extremes of weather experienced on Dartmoor, now works alongside newly designed roof gullies to accommodate the heavy Dartmoor rainfall, protecting the castle from water damage."

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National Trust Drogo CastleNational Trust
The National Trust described the castle as "reminiscent of a medieval fortress whilst only being 100 years old"

The history of Castle Drogo

  • It was designed by one of the "most sought after" British architects in the first half of the 20th Century, Edwin Lutyens
  • The castle was built as an ancestral family home for retail tycoon Julius Drewe, who wanted it to overlook Dartmoor
  • Julius and Frances Drewe were its first owners, and their portraits hang on opposite walls of the dining room stairwell
  • Indoors, the castle hosts "many treasures", including a tapestry made for Louis XIV

Source: National Trust

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National Trust Castle DrogoNational Trust
All 913 windows were also refurbished

Within its walls, the castle underwent a deep clean and restoration of its carpets and blinds.

The trust said it uncovered the original collection to return the castle "to a family home and bring to life the Lutyens-designed masterpiece".

General manager Heather Kay said the castle's future had now "been secured".

"[It] is regarded as a masterpiece of 20th century architecture," she said.

"It is a place where people not only explore the castle and formal garden but also enjoy walking on the wider estate and spending time with their families."

The castle will be open daily until 30 October.

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