A major project has been launched to restore and repair windows at two historic sites on the Isle of Wight.
Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle feature in a nationwide initiative from English Heritage.
Nicola Duncan-Finn, Senior Estate Manager at the charity, says a number of factors, including environmental changes, are putting extra pressures on historic sites.
She told Isle of Wight Radio something must be done to protect the windows:
"These windows are really etched in the nations memory. [At Carisbrooke Castle] it was where Charles I tried to escape before his execution and at Osborne House we think about the sombre moments at the end of Queen Victoria's life where she looked up over the estate."
More than one million pounds worth of repairs will be needed, at sites across the country, in the next five years.
Not only is the weather creating additional pressures, but so to is a shortage of skilled craftspeople and the use of modern material, which are less resilient.
Nicola added:
“When thinking about caring for an historic building, the protection of windows may not be at the forefront of many people’s minds, but these features are important artefacts in themselves. Windows are the eyes of a building and can tell you a huge amount, not only about the status of its owners, trends of the time and the materials available, but uniquely they also bear the hand of their original carpenter and so are irreplaceable.
“We can’t just replace them with a modern alternative, so if they are to survive for future generations to enjoy, we need the public’s support today in order to repair their wooden frames, stabilise their glass and lead fittings, and protect them from harsh weather and potential rot before time runs out.”
The charity is raising money to continue its conservation efforts.
You can find out more about the appeal on English Heritage's website.
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