Althorp House, Northamptonshire:

Grade I Listed Althorp House has been the ancestral home of the Spencer family for almost 500 years. In 1508, Sir John Spencer commissioned the construction of a red-brick country house complete with surrounding moat. By 1586, his grandson had extended the property to form the basic shape that it holds today; an enclosed courtyard with projecting wings on the south side. Over the years, the house has been remodelled on a number of occasions but in the main reflects the designs of Georgian architect Henry Holland who was also involved in the remodelling of Woburn Abbey.

William Anelay has been contracted to carry out phases of restoration work at Althorp House, which involves a programme of re-roofing, stonework replacements and extensive refurbishment of the mathematical tiles, which face much of the house.

The roof will be stripped back and slate reclaimed where possible before carrying out underlying timber repairs and then re-roofing. As well as extensive mathematical tile refurbishment, the building requires some masonry replacements to the State Dining Room, the East and West Wing elevations, the main 'North Block' and chimneystack brickwork and masonry repairs. The project commenced in September 2009 and is due to be completed Summer 2011.

For more information about Althorp House, please visit the weblink below:

www.althorp.com