Issue 42 summer 24 web - Flipbook - Page 76
The Major Refurbishment
of Hay Castle - Named the
Best Building in Wales by
RSAW/ RIBA
Awards in Heritage and Conservation for established conservation building contractor John Weaver
Contractors
Hay Castle was honoured with the coveted RSAW
Building of the Year Award 2024. The judges praised the
project as “an excellent example of how to approach
conservation and heritage with spirit and expertise,”
noting that it has “delivered a vibrant addition to the civic
life of Hay-on-Wye.
gate, the oldest of its kind in the UK, and reinstate the
vital connection between the castle and the town and
create a vibrant hub for the community and visitors.
The visiting judges were impressed to see that while the
exterior of the building has been restored to its original
aspect, reinstating the complex Jacobean roofline which
links the two phases of original construction, the inside
also offers an exciting and contemporary juxtaposition in
design and a hub for arts, literature and learning including
a café and exhibition space.
The winning restoration project involved complex work
by MICA Architects, and John Weaver Contractors
to rescue and conserve the critically at-risk medieval keep
and the Jacobean mansion, restore and open the ancient
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Conservation & Heritage Journal
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