Glendale’s contract win is fit for a king

National green services provider, Glendale, has been selected to restore grounds at Lincoln Castle, as part of a £22million renovation programme, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, to bring William the Conqueror’s fortress back to life.

Glendale’s groundwork is the final stage in the three-year ‘Lincoln Castle Revealed’ project being delivered by Lincolnshire County Council to coincide with the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta this year.

The closed castle will re-open its gates on April 1 and Glendale has only five weeks to deliver the £25,000 programme of work, which involves using specialist diggers and equipment to excavate shrubs and roots from around the castle’s perimeter. It will also return the excavated shrub areas to turf, import fresh topsoil, and remove old benches, footpaths and stone walls from the site.

The wider project has involved opening the castle’s prison, building visitor facilities, and the creation of an underground vault which will house Lincoln’s Magna Carta, one of only four surviving original copies of the document which launched parliamentary democracy.

Andrew Trott, contract manager at Glendale, said: “We’re thrilled to be involved with such a prestigious and unusual project. We’ve even been told we may need to be accompanied by an archaeologist while we carry out the work in case we uncover any historic artefacts, which is exciting.

“Glendale delivers green services in all kinds of locations, from cemeteries to golf courses, but this is certainly the oldest and most high profile site we’ve ever worked on. It’s a varied job which will require an intricate attention to detail but our extensive experience means we’re more than up to the task. It’s a busy site with a tight timescale, so it will be a challenging but rewarding project.”

Lincoln Castle dates back to 1068 and was one of several castles built by William the Conqueror following his victory at The Battle of Hastings.

Glendale is the leading green services provider in the UK and is celebrating its 25 years of operation this year.