Windsor Castle restorers work wonders on windows

Craftsmen behind restoration work at Windsor Castle and the Tower of London are applying their skills to replace the windows at a historic Northamptonshire building.

Tom and George Bayliss, stained glass restorers from Birmingham, are helping to update Kettering Library and Art Gallery, known as Cornerstone, in Northamptonshire, as part of a £7m renovation project.

The uncle and nephew have been working in cramped conditions to replace more than 40 of the historic windows on the Grade-II listed public building.

The building was damaged during heavy rain in 2023 and its entire roof is being repaired with Collyweston slate tiles, that come from the county.

North Northamptonshire Council, which owns and runs the building, said the work was another example of the "skill and expertise" involved in the project.

The pair work for Nick Bayliss Architectural Glass, founded by Tom's dad, which specialises in replacing and restoring windows in historic buildings and has previously worked on Hampton Court Palace.

The gallery and museum have been closed since the damage happened and the library has been relocated to the new wing.

Kettering Library opened in 1904 and expanded in 1913 when an art gallery complex was built on the side of the main building.

A modern extension has been added and the whole complex, including the Manor House Museum, is now known as Cornerstone.

It is hoped the restoration work will be completed by August 2026.

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