Protecting Warwick Castle’s 1100 years of history
Leisure site kept safe with CCTV perimeter intrusion detection ‘moat’
Warwick Castle dates back eleven centuries when the first Anglo-Saxon fortifications were established on the site by Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great. Some 150 years later, the strategic significance of the site was appreciated by the Normans who began development towards what we see today.
The fortress is considered one of Europe’s leading visitor attractions, as well as Britain’s ultimate castle. This landmark of British history is owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments Group, a global leader in leisure attractions and theme parks.
Nestled against the bank of the River Avon and typical of a rural leisure attraction, the site is large and sprawling. The castle is not only a place of major historical significance, it is also a thriving tourist destination and leisure business. It is classed as one of Britain's Top 10 historic houses and monuments by the British Tourist Authority, a list which also includes the Tower of London, Stonehenge, and Edinburgh Castle.
Project outline
Warwick Castle appointed iC2 to install new security cameras both within key buildings and across the grounds to protect the attraction from unauthorised access. The project was broken down into two phases.
The first objective was to protect key areas within the ‘heart’ of the castle, including The Great Hall, Queen Anne’s Bedroom, The Blue Boudoir, The Red Drawing Room and The Cedar Drawing Room. This part of the solution was accomplished through careful positioning and installation of state of the art Avigilon Megapixel cameras.
The second phase saw the installation of additional Avigilon Megapixel Cameras to monitor the perimeter. This involves video transmission distances of up to 1 kilometre, in effect acting as a digital ‘moat’ to protect Warwick Castle’s 1100 years of history.
Key challenges
in recognition of its status as a nationally important site, Warwick Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Consequently, it is protected against unauthorised change, and together with its boundary walls, stables, conservatory, mill and lodge, is a Grade I listed building.
Preserving the aesthetics were a major consideration for the Warwick Castle team. Cameras had to be discreet yet powerful, and installation had to be handled with the utmost care and precision so that the castle’s appearance was not compromised. It didn’t just have to be aesthetically sympathetic - the works had to conform with the restrictions imposed by the Grade I listed status.
The Result
iC2 delivered the project working alongside the sites facilities, grounds and IT teams. The efforts to route cables without damaging ancient flooring and spoiling the aesthetics were highly successful and extensive use was made of secure wireless technologies to avoid unnecessary cabling works.
The Warwick Castle solution integrates CCTV with the latest technologies to deliver an intelligent security system which is powerful, reliable and easy to use. The CCTV system utilises 20 terabytes of Network Video Recorder (NVR) storage in conjunction with an Avigilon Software Platform.
The system was installed and is operated and maintained in line with the health and safety and compliance requirements which govern the storage, viewing and sharing of HD video which includes images that enable the identification of individuals.
Perimeter intrusion detection ensures the presence of unwanted visitors is picked up at the point of entry and security personnel are alerted and able to respond quickly and appropriately. iC2 delivered a highly effective system with an immaculate installation that was on time and on budget.
“To deliver the installation in such a timely and professional manner, in a very challenging environment, was a credit to the iC2 team.”
– Geoff Horwood, Operations Manager, Warwick Castle
Help with rural security from iC2
For advice on any aspect of securing a rural site, simply contact iC2 CCTV on 020 3747 1800 or visit www.ic2cctv.com
Click here to go to the Warwick Castle website.
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