Restoring the Watson Institute by Tom Speight and Richard Johnstone

As part of the Fellfoot Forward Community Buildings Project, volunteers Tom Speight and Richard Johnstone shared their experience of restoring the Watson Institute in Castle Carrock in a webinar in April.

Built in 1897 as a reading room, the Watson Institute faces onto the village green and sits at the heart of the Castle Carrock community. During the talk  Tom and Richard told the story of the institute’s fascinating history and the journey they undertook, sharing images and short film clips, and also what they see as two key aspects of the project – community engagement and the physical restoration works.

They discussed the challenges, how they funded it, low carbon energy efficiency measures – like new heat pumps, double gazing, traditional lime pointing, LED lights, and underfloor insulation, and highlighted ‘top tips’ for other community buildings.

Watch the recording of the webinar: