Hawkscroft restored a deteriorating Victorian leaded stained glass dome at Rookery Hall Hotel, Cheshire, returning a stunning heritage feature to its former glory.
Introduction
Hawkscroft Limited was commissioned by Rookery Hall Hotel to repair and restore a Victorian roof lantern, situated within a hallway adjoining the hotel’s dining rooms. The lantern had deteriorated over the decades, and its failing leadwork was leaking and sagging in places.
The leaded glass ceiling-dome features an attractive coloured glass design and sits within a Grade II listed building, originally constructed in 1816 and known as 'The Rookery, Worleston.' This fine mellowed sandstone building, with its Westmorland slated roof and elegant reception rooms, has evolved over the centuries transitioning from a Georgian Manor House to a small chateau, and ultimately into today's 70-bedroom luxury country spa hotel.
Summary of work undertaken
The first challenge was removal of the roof lantern as additional building work had been constructed around the glass dome over the years, through various adaptations to the original Manor House. To add to the challenge, access to this area of the roof could only be achieved through a nearby window. To overcome this obstacle, the Hawkscroft team planned to partially deglaze the roof lantern which allowed safe removal through the tight window aperture and out through the hotel building.
Back at the workshops, Hawkscroft then faced a further challenge. The dome-shaped lantern was constructed of eight sections of coloured glass forming a leaded light design, each section containing over 100 panes that needed to be removed and rebuilt as part of the restoration process. Leaded light work is typically carried out on a flat bench, but the curved shape of the sections, over two planes, required an alternative working surface. To provide a solution, Hawkscroft's skilled carpenters built bespoke curved templates to serve as formers. Each former was tailor-made to accommodate the specific directional curves and support the individual sections, which had warped into slightly different shapes over the years.
Restoration work began with the careful documentation and removal of each glass pane for inspection and cleaning. Cracked and damaged panes were replaced with the appropriate coloured glass, meticulously sourced to match the original palette. Following this exacting process, all eight leaded light sections were painstakingly rebuilt and their traditional copper ties replaced.
With the glazing removed, the supporting metal framework underwent comprehensive restoration: abrasive-blasted back to bare metal, treated with rust inhibitor and finished with an epoxy powder coating in Heritage Grey. To prevent the risk of any future water ingress, the frame's glazed crown section was modified from its original hinged configuration into a fixed and weatherproof position.
Final installation took place on site where each restored section was systematically bedded and sealed within the refurbished framework, returning the roof lantern to its former glory.
This Victorian roof lantern has been meticulously restored to its original splendour, preserving most of the historic glass while ensuring weather protection for years to come. All deteriorated leadwork was renewed, and replacement glass carefully colour-matched to seamlessly integrate with the original panes. The result is transformative; guests can now experience the full artistry of this spectacular glass ceiling piece, its vibrant colours brought back to life.
Hawkscroft delivered the entire project, from removal to refitting, with minimal disruption to the hotel’s operations and guests.
