Dear Queen’s Journal Editors,
Your recent article concerning Bader College and Herstmonceux Castle (Bader College lacked structural inspection for 25 years, staff allege, June 24, 2024) contained allegations that warrant clarification and correction.
Inspections of Herstmonceux Castle are completed regularly by the Executive Director of the College, in accordance with UK requirements, and the Bader Board has been actively assessing risks associated with operations at the Castle for several years. When structural concerns were discovered last fall, Bader College immediately engaged a structural engineer and made arrangements to assess the required repairs.
Throughout Castle operations over the past five years alone, regular updates and repairs have been made to the structure, such as repairs to the roof and windows, the installation of heat pumps, and flood management upgrades. Many upgrades were also made to improve the student experience at Bader College, including the addition of new science labs, new washrooms, and renovations to classrooms and the library.
Today, those visiting the castle and grounds will have noticed the scaffolding on the exterior, and work is underway to assess the required repairs. This work has also provided the opportunity to replace the water treatment system and the heating oil tank for the Castle. These projects, approved by the local Wealden District Council in East Sussex, will commence shortly.
Queen’s academic programming at Bader College will continue to be suspended for the next academic year, due to the repairs needed to the Castle building. The University will be better positioned to assess the timeline for reopening once repairs at the Castle are underway.
Sincerely,
Matthew Evans
Member of the Board of Trustees, Bader College
Provost and Vice-Principal Academic, Queen’s University
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