Project Info
Client
English Heritage
Location
Tower Street, York, YO1 9SA
Completed
February 2022
Contact
April Pratt, Business Development
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Awards Won

York Design Awards - Restoration & Conservation 2022

Constructing Excellence Yorkshire & Humber - WINNER - Conservation & Regeneration 2022

NFB Construction Awards of Excellence - WINNER - Heritage & Conservation Project 2023

Dezeen Award - Highly Commended - Re-use Project Category 2023

Civic Trust Award 2024

RIBA Yorkshire Awards 2024 - Regional Award, Conservation Award & Client of the Year for English Heritage

Clifford’s Tower

Client
English Heritage
Location
Tower Street, York, YO1 9SA
Completed
February 2022
Contact
April Pratt, Business Development

A phased conservation and new build project to repair the Tower and improve the visitor experience. Works included extensive restoration of the stonework, a glulam timber canopy providing a deck to allow visitors panoramic views of York, an internal hanging steel walkway and floating staircases and installations of words, images, light and sound.

The restrictive location of Clifford’s Tower presented a key challenge. Situated at the top of a 36ft motte, in a busy location in York, required a collaborative and well managed process. Through working closely with City of York Highways and liaising with all stakeholders regarding ongoing and future planned works, we ensured public safety and minimised disruption to the surrounding area.

The Tower, exposed to the elements since 1684, had become structurally fragile and demanded an innovative conservation strategy. New internal foundations were cast independently to support the glulam structure and the new internal concrete slab, with a deliberate perimeter gap left between these works and the historic walls to avoid imposing additional load on the original fabric. The new roof, along with the floating staircases and walkways, was also constructed as a separate system, supported by new foundations. This approach ensured that all new interventions remained structurally independent, significantly reducing the risk to the Tower’s long‑term stability.

A full-height perimeter scaffold and temporary roof was needed for the duration of the works. The scaffold was erected in isolation of the original tower, ensuring no aspects were tied to the building, as this would have added additional weight-bearing pressure to the delicate structure. Foam pads were used as cushions between the tower and the temporary structure to mitigate the risk of any additional damage occurring to the fragile stonework.

The works at Clifford’s Tower have won multiple awards, including Regional Constructing Excellence Award and NFB Award for Heritage and Conservation.

Awards Won

York Design Awards - Restoration & Conservation 2022

Constructing Excellence Yorkshire & Humber - WINNER - Conservation & Regeneration 2022

NFB Construction Awards of Excellence - WINNER - Heritage & Conservation Project 2023

Dezeen Award - Highly Commended - Re-use Project Category 2023

Civic Trust Award 2024

RIBA Yorkshire Awards 2024 - Regional Award, Conservation Award & Client of the Year for English Heritage

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