Islanders are being invited to vote for an Isle of Wight property that has been shortlisted in the latest Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) Awards.
Owned by Julia Flutter, Berwick Lodge in Ryde has been subject to a major restoration programme.
You can vote for the property (by 31st October) by visiting the SPAB Website. Here’s what SPAB say about the landmark building.
Berwick Lodge was built in the ‘Free Gothic’ style with an unusual, crenellated tower overlooking the Solent. Once a seasonal home for Victorian fashionable society, it is still a landmark building within the town.
It was subdivided into flats in the 1920s, but it retains much of its historic character and is Grade II listed.
Extensive restoration works
The extensive repair works included: re-roofing; new guttering and drainage; stonework refaced and repaired; re-wiring, new heating systems, window repairs, traditional lath and plasterwork repairs, hand-tooled quoins, new hand-made chimney pots.
An important element was the repair of the tower, which had perhaps uniquely been constructed from Victorian cast iron girders and ceramic red floor tiles. Drawing from archive photography and artwork, the Victorian porch was reinstated.
The next phase
The next phase of the project will include regular maintenance that the building is watertight and resilient and further work on the grounds and interiors.
The entrance has been fitted with specially commissioned wrought iron gates and hand-carved Portland Stone finials to replace the originals that were lost decades ago.
Flutter: Our stewardship of Berwick Lodge does not end here
Owner Julia Flutter writes,
“During this journey we have encountered enormous challenges and we have met some incredible craftspeople, professional advisers, local authority advisers and organisations whose support has been invaluable to us.
“We know that our stewardship of Berwick Lodge does not end here, however, and there remains much more to do and to maintain.”
Project managers were Steve O’Keefe and Robert Biggs of Christopher Scott Limited. Whilst the builders were Jill Banks and Mick Sivell of GJ Banks Limited.
You can vote for the property (by 31st October) by visiting the SPAB Website.
Image: © Julia Flutter
