The East Gate in Caernarfon, known in Welsh as Y Porth Mawr (the large gate) formed part of the town’s extensive Medieval fortifications.

Porth Mawr was the main landward entrance to the borough and once housed the Exchequer. In fact, Porth Mawr was effectively the financial and administrative centre for the shire counties of North Wales.

In 2019, an ambitious programme of conservation and repair work was launched at Grade I Listed Porth Mawr, by Cadw. Working alongside conservation architects Donal Insall Associates of Conwy, the Welsh conservation body hopes to build an understanding of the gate, and protect and conserve the structure, while improving the overall visitor experience.

We were honoured to be asked to be part of the project, having previously worked with Donald Insall Associates at Bury Street and K1 Knightsbridge in London. Also involved in the project were Grosvenor Construction Ltd, with both companies being specialists in the heritage and historic building sector.

We fitted a total of 16 glazing units. These were a mix of slimline units, lower vertical sliding saw units and upper vertical sliding sash units. Due to the shape of the windows, this was a very complex job requiring considerable thought and adaptation on our part. The glazing design featured multiple cuts and glass, with extrusion bending to achieve a flawless match with the original window.

The thermal gains as a result of our installation are significant, reducing heating bills all year round, particularly during the winter.

We’re proud to have played our part in ensuring the continuity and future sustainability of this key part of the built heritage of North Wales.

To find out more about the benefits of our secondary glazing units, please click here.