Belvoir Castle is one of the great treasure houses of England. In its 1000-year history, Belvoir has survived great turmoil: destroyed twice, first in the Wars of the Roses and again in the Civil War. Yet after all the destruction, the history of Belvoir has been preserved in literature and material heritage, namely, stone.

One interesting piece of stonework is a 16th-century bench in the Pet Cemetery of the Rose Garden at Belvoir Castle. It is the oldest piece of stonework across the entire estate, with parts dating back to the second iteration of Belvoir Castle.

The bench includes a range of family crests from Belvoir’s history, one notable chest: ‘Badlesmere, quartered with de Ros, surrounded by a garter’, a family crest which dates to 1316 when Margery de Badlesmere married William, 2nd Baron Ros (their grandson became a Knight of the Garter). While this magnificent bench has lasted the turmoil of the English conflict, time has taken its toll. After a review by a local Stone Carving Company, several repairs were identified on different carving elements.

Our charity has chosen to undertake this project. We are in the process of enquiring with consultants and choosing the team to work with to best restore this beautiful piece of stonework. We anticipate the required work to be as follows:

• Repair missing fixtures/ornaments: Re-carved in stone and installed after a study through pictures and clay models. Fixed with epoxy resin and repointed with lime mortar matching the stone.
• Treat metal: Iron is breaking through the carving, causing a fracture into the stone due to oxidation. This will require treatment to prevent further oxidation without causing additional damage.
• Protection: All the elements will be finished with a protective shelter coat for conservation.

We will update this page further once the project has been completed.