Lions House

LOCATION: Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

CLIENT: Private

CONTRACTOR: James Swinton & Co

The Vision

Lions House is a Grade II* Listed Georgian home set upon Berwick Upon Tweed’s Elizabethan Quay Walls. The three storey house occupies a prominent position in the townscape, affording views across the Tweed estuary and Northumberland coastline.

The Solution

CSY acted as conservation architect, identifying a series of best-practice conservation repairs that included extensive works to the sandstone ashlar, slate roof and repair of the existing sash and case windows to retain the evidential significance of the building.

Internally, the building required extensive works which involved accurate replication of historic joinery details such as window shutters and panelling and careful preservation and repair of original, ornate plasterwork.

The Solution

The close working relationship between client, design team, archaeologist, Historic England and our experienced contractor, James Swinton & Co, overcame a number of challenges including covid shutdown, inclement North Sea weather and archaeological investigation, to ensure this sensitively restored Georgian house was able to occupy its prominent position within the Berwick Upon Tweed townscape in a manner befitting its original intent.