Tonbridge Castle's great gatehouse has survived since the 13th century, and was restored around the time of the millennium. However in 700 turbulent years it has never been as comfortable as it is now, thanks to the recent addition of Creda heaters.
Considered to be one of the finest examples of a motte and bailey castle in Kent, Tonbridge Castle is owned by Tonbridge and Malling Council. Apart from the gatehouse, little remains of the once massive structure apart from a few fragmentary ruins of its shell keep and curtain walls. However the gatehouse is put to multiple uses, hence the need for warmth.
The new heating system for the reception and retail areas was designed by Creda to the council's specification, so that it matched the Creda heaters that were already in use in other parts of the building. Installation was by Pocock's Electricians of Maidstone.
Patrick Ladlow, managing director of Pocock's, said: 'We fitted Sensair automatic storage fan heaters, backed by TPR panel heaters. Both TPRE24T 24-hour timers and TPRE7DT 7-day timers were used for improved economies to suit the needs of different parts of the reception and retail areas.
'Although this was a relatively small installation, the choice of equipment represented a very practical solution, particularly as two types of user had to be considered. The building will be much visited by the public, but also has to keep the staff working there warm and comfortable. '
Sensair automatic storage fan heaters, as selected for Tonbridge Castle, are suitable for operating on any tariff and take good advantage of extended or split tariffs. Not only do they have insulation levels 2.5 times greater than conventional heaters, they also achieve higher SAP and NHER ratings than manual input storage heaters.
They are available with ratings of 2.5kW or 3.4kW and are designed to combine the benefits of electric storage heating, direct acting heating and fanned heat output, with simple controls. The two speed fan can be switched off without altering the thermostat setting, or turned to a boost setting for high speed warm-ups.
The panel heaters selected for Tonbridge Castle were TPRIIIEs, rated at 0.75KW and 1kW, although the range extends from 0.5kW to 3kW. These heaters have front-facing grilles for efficient heat projection and are silent in operation, perfect for the castle when the public are enjoying a visit.
Patrick added: 'On this project, comfort, economy and energy efficiency were of equal importance and the TPRIIIEs have electronic thermostatic controls which allow us to ensure precise regulation of room temperatures.'
The castle gatehouse area that benefits from this modern and highly efficient heating system is now part of the Gateway project, operated by Kent County Council and the county's 12 district councils. The objective is to provide convenient physical access to public services in a modern retail setting; and there are currently nine fixed and two mobile Gateways serving the county.
Gateway operates on the principle that customer needs determine both the location and mix of services provided in an area. It is customer-focused and offers Kent residents convenient physical access to frontline customer advisors from a wide range of public services, in a modern retail setting
www.credaheating.co.uk