Published: January 2023
Standing guard over the mouth of The Solent is Luttrell’s Tower, a substantial 18th-century folly, offering guests magnificent views of the sea towards the Isle of Wight and of the ships entering and leaving Southampton. Luttrell's Tower joined the growing list of Landmarks in 1968 and since then, it's become a favourite among many bookers.
The Tower’s exposed position by the sea makes it a building that requires close and regular attention to keep it in top condition and safe from the elements. The framed view through the Tower's large sash windows is an exceptionally beautiful one and the frames were in need of extensive repairs. During the restorative maintenance works, it wasn’t just the windows that received a little TLC, our expert craftspeople refurbished the kitchen and refreshed the décor on the second floor.
Over a period of 10 weeks, our appointed contractors, Wessex Joinery, carried out joinery repairs on all 18 windows. The repairs included removing sections of rotten wood on the main oriel window overlooking The Solent, replacing them with new hardwood sections and removing several curved windows which over time, had begun to bow on a slight vertical angle, stopping the windows from opening and closing properly.
Several smaller windows required complete rebuilding as they had deteriorated beyond saving. These were rebuilt as exact copies and reused some of the existing window furniture, such as the hinges and handles which were still in good condition.
Our inhouse workshop team designed and built a new curved kitchen to emphasise the curve of the staircase wall, which the kitchen is built around. Adding the final touches to the maintenance project, our contractors, T Y Maintenance redecorated the open plan room of the second floor, repairing cracks and splits in the timber work and painting the colour of the room from a tired yellow to a beautifully refreshing pale green.
Explore Luttrell's Tower