Penicuik House Project
The Penicuik House Project aims to secure the future of the architecture and landscape of the Penicuik policies and make both accessible for the physical and aesthetic enjoyment of present and future generations.
Numerous bodies and organisations have identified chronic shortfalls in the number of skilled construction craftspeople and the conservation industry is regularly identified as being at the forefront of the skills deficit. This has been a gradual but insidious process as the transition from mass masonry walling to thin wall cavity structures changed the nature of building practice, becoming more reliant on speedier and less labour dependant forms of construction.
The Penicuik House project seeks to address these issues and to respond positively to the demand in the construction industry for these training opportunities. Penicuik House affords the ideal vehicle at just the right time to begin the process of skills recovery.
The challenges to conserve Penicuik House for posterity are considerable whilst offering a broad range of skills sets to be delivered during the life of the contract and leave a legacy of new, highly skilled craftspeople capable of managing the challenges our built heritage faces in the future.
It is proposed that over a six year period the ruin of Penicuik House will be consolidated and repairs undertaken to the immediate garden features. The ownership of a former estate entrance and driveway has been conveyed to the Trust to provide a dedicated public entrance and car parking facilities. The work to the house will progress in an easterly direction with the first year of repairs concentrating on the western service range. The service range will be adapted to provide workshop facilities for the Scottish Lime Centre Trust to deliver a number of training courses in the use of traditional building techniques and materials. A part-time training officer is employed to formulate a programme of events, courses and demonstrations. A number of open days will also be organised for schools and for other interested parties.
Over 600 people each year will have the opportunity of taking part in the training activities on site. The converted service range will also house interpretative material on the house and the wider landscape. Visitor facilities will be limited and access will be free. It is estimated that there will be between 50,000 - 60,000 visitors to Penicuik House each year of the project.
The firm of contractors appointed to undertake the work to the house and associated structures will use the project to train 16 apprentices and trainees. The project will highlight the process of the conservation and the necessary skills required to undertake this work. The project responds to the growing demand in the construction industry for suitably qualified and experienced trades people in conservation techniques and will promote this side of the industry to a wide audience.
In the longer term the Trust intends to work together with the Penicuik Estate to open the broader designed landscape to the public and to preserve the important built structures located within the grounds.
