Syon House, London

Syon House set within its 200 acre park situated in west London, was traditionally the summer home of their Graces the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. The House's exterior as now seen was built in 1547 by the 1st Duke of Somerset, then In the 18th century,  Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland, commissioned architect and interior Robert Adam and Northumberland born landscape designer Lancelot “Capability Brown” to redesign the house and estate.

Client
Syon Holdings Ltd
Architect/client representative
Dannatt Johnson Architects, London
Contract value
£1,531,000

After carrying out substantial conservation work at Alnwick Castle, the historic baronial seat of the Dukes of Northumberland, HPR tendered for the initial work on the roof of Syon House in 2007 as part of a £600k initial restoration programme. The successful outcome resulted in the company being asked to negotiate two further phases of work at Syon.

The third £1.5M phase in 2012 involved further work to the roof chimney’s, stone parapets and balustrading and the complete rebuilding of the North East Tower. Seventy tonnes of lead was used in the re-roofing. We carried out further specialist joinery repairs on the windows and repaired floor and ceiling joists.

A memorable part of the contract involved the careful removal of the three tonne hollow lead lion statue from the roof of the building for restoration. The white painted, 260 year old life-size lion was in a poor state of repair having lost its tail and feet to weather and pollution over the centuries. It was sent to a specialist conservator while HPR carved a new base and the pair were reunited and hoisted back onto the roof of Syon House. The Percy Lion is the family’s heraldic emblem and it was a momentous occasion for staff at Syon House to see it back in position fully restored to its former glory.

"From my personal perspective, this was one of the best projects I have been involved with over the last 35 years as a Chartered Building Surveyor, RIS Accredited in Building Conservation. My client role on this was a complete pleasure, because you and your team were first class, complementing the excellent professional design team. Well done!"

Richard Dunn -
PCC Project Co-ordinator, for St John the Baptist Church, Wilberfoss

"May I take this opportunity to thank you and your staff for your professional and unfailingly helpful conduct during this project. We particularly appreciate the efforts made to overcome the deficiencies and problems arising from the previous contractor."

Andrew Bodenham -
Blackett Ord Conservation

"HPR recognise, and allow for, the necessary archaeological recording to take place during consolidation work and the disruptions that this may cause to their planned programme of work comes as no surprise to them. This awareness means that their workforce is able to be pro-active in informing the archaeologist of any possible instances when recording may be necessary."

Mick Krupa -
NPHT Archaeologist at Nenthead Smeltmill

"Historic Property Restoration carried out the first phase of the refurbishment of the Grade II listed Town Hall. The company were extremely professional in their approach throughout the entire process as befits a company with extensive experience in the conservation and restoration sector."

David Lodge -
Greater Morpeth Development Trust

"Historic Property Restoration deliver good quality work to programme and budget on a regular basis. They are reliable and value for money."

Ian Merritt -
English Heritage Conservation and Maintenance Manager
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Stone Parapet

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