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 front elevation, faced in ashlar with rusticated quoins, faces East across the river’s open mouth and forms a tall and imposing landmark and a free-standing neighbour to the Gunpowder Magazine. The building has a particular significance to LS Lowry, the Edwardian artist, in that he is purported to have looked into buying this property during one of his many visits to Berwick.

In 2019, CSY were approached by a private client to restore the house, which they had recently purchased, which had fallen into disrepair despite the earlier intervention of the Berwick Preservation Trust in the 1970’s.

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 proposed works required extensive discussion and negotiation with both Historic England and the local conservation officer, with whom CSY worked with closely throughout all phases of the project to ensure that the significance of the heritage asset was retained and enhanced through informed repair and deferential intervention.

Sensitively and tastefully decorated internally, the house benefits from the owners extensive private art collection and is now available to let as a holiday home by Crabtree & Crabtree.

Lions House holiday home in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland | Crabtree & Crabtree (crabtreeandcrabtree.com)

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.