~ Edinburgh Castle, King James VI & I Birth Room ~
Following a detailed research study by Historic Environment Scotland using XRF analysis, I was asked to carefully remove and conserve the upper windows, and remove and replace the lower windows in King James’ Birth Room in Edinburgh Castle.
What initially appeared fairly straight forward turned out to be one of the most complex conservation jobs I have done: involving paint analysis, metal-work, joinery, scaffolding, working at extreme heights and tiny spaces, historic interiors, sourcing unbelievably expensive mouth-blown UV glass, detailed glass conservation, HES and Covid restrictions, and 5am starts every day on site.
My thanks to the staff at Edinburgh Castle, Peter Verrecchia, Graeme Cannon, Jim Mitchell and Vivienne Kelly for their assistance and patience.
After Conservation
Lower window, Lamberts UV glass
Interior wall and ceiling painting
1566
Interior Wall and Ceiling painting
19th June
After Conservation
Lower two panels using Lamberts UV glass
Entry to King James' Birth Room
View of Edinburgh Old Town through the new windows
After Conservation
All of the windows are fully functional, although now locked in place for security
After Conservation
Exterior paint
Broken glass
Removed from lead and archived for analysis
Removing the broken glass, shard by shard
Conservation
Broken glass conserved in-situ using hxtyl epoxy resin, which was then covered with a strap lead and putty, for protection against the elements and UV deterioration. No EPG is in place in the Castle.
An attempt to flatten the buckled panels was made by cutting lead joints along their axis, to release any pressure.
The cut joints were then re-soldered.
The old windows were re-sealed using traditional glazing cement / putty
Boiled Linseed oil / white spirit / whiting / lead black
The waterproofing was cleaned off using whiting, and natural bristle brushes
The old frames were left in situ, rubbed down and re-painted.
This involved being harnessed to the internal scaffold, as the outside rockface was a long drop down
New manganese bronze bars were cut and shaped to slip into the existing screw holes
Manganese bronze bars before and after shaping
Internal frames after painting
Internal frames after painting
New oak beading was cut and painted and drilled exactly to match the existing screw holes
Upper panels after conservation
They were not able to be completely flattened, but they were significantly strengthened.
Frames after painting
The old broken beading was carefully laid out, numbered and archived.
The windows were removed from the external frames
The views from the Birth Room were astonishing
Days of paint tests were done to match the original colour scheme
Paint analysis
Final paint selection
A special "putty softener"UV lamp was lent to me from the HES staff at the castle to help release the glass from the frame
The UV lamp was left on the panel for 5 - 10 minutes to soften the putty
However, what had been used was not putty, and the lamp did not work
Condition of frame before conservation
Condition of frames before painting
Condition of frames before conservation
Condition of frame before conservation
External frames rubbed down before painting
Condition of frame before conservation
Multiple cracks in the upper panel before conservation
Two new panels were made for the lower windows
using mouth blown Lamberts UV glass at over £1,000 / m2
Making the new panels
New panels boxed up and transported to the castle for installation
New panel laid out in the Portrait Room in Edinburgh Castle
overseen by King James, and his wife, Ann of Denmark
Removing and archiving old screws and saddle bars
Most of the original screws survived, intact
Removing and cleaning old screws to be re-used after conservation
Cleaning the windows and frames in-situ with a hoover, to minimise dust and dirt within the historic interior
After Conservation
Blue / grey daylight and UV reducing, polycarbonate was re-fitted onto the upper panels to protect the historic interior wall paintings
Upper panels after conservation
showing strap leads over epoxy resin'd breaks to protect the resin from deterioration as there is no EPG.
