It’s hard not to get wrapped up in the history of the magnificent houses we work on. One of our latest projects for the National Trust, the stunning Plas Newydd mansion of Anglesey, is steeped in historical tales having housed a string of marquesses across five centuries, from the 1500s to the 1900s.

Working on the windows in such places makes us feel a small part of that history. It’s fascinating to think, for example, that the dawn sunrise shining through the bedroom windows once woke a hundred sea cadets for breakfast, when it was used as a shore base for The Conway’s crew in 1949.

And the light streaming through the dining room windows illuminated the wall on which esteemed artist, Rex Whistler, created his Italian seaport masterpiece.

It’s a punishing environment in many ways, with the building exposed to the Menai Straits and bearing the brunt of the Welsh weather! The vast windows have taking a battering over the years, and can be extremely draughty.

I’m sure anyone who resided within became reliant on extra blankets on their beds to keep them warm here in winters past.

Thanks to major regeneration works that started in 2011, that’s no longer the case. Oliver Parkes and Mitchell Reece of Storm have been working closely with the project team at Plas Newydd to complete two phases of works that will ensure a much more comfortable environment. Combined with a new heating system, which has a ground source heat pump from the Menai Strait, Storm has fitted secondary glazing to a selection of the windows to provide thermal insulation and draft proofing.

March saw us complete our second phase of works here, fitting secondary glazing to a further 25 windows.

It’s proved challenging at times, due to the sheer size of some of the windows. The inward opening casements also posed some difficulties, but nothing was insurmountable for our brilliant team.

Now visitors to this stunning house can simply enjoy the wonders within, getting wrapped up in its history, like us, without having to wrap in extra layers. Why not plan a visit and marvel at the largest collection of Rex Whistler paintings, and the relics from the First Marquess of Anglesey’s tenure, who commanded the cavalry at the Battle of Waterloo.

For more information or to book a free no-obligation survey, simply give us a call on 01384 63 63 65 or email sales@stormwindows.co.uk.

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