The Castle as it appears today is the culmination of almost fifteen years research and conservation work. Lulworth Castle was built as a hunting lodge and is a key example of late gothic domestic architecture. It is the largest and best preserved building of its type and reflects the revival of medieval romance in the early seventeenth century. A major fire in 1929 completely gutted the castle, destroying the interiors and leaving the building a roofless ruin. In March 1983, Gilmore Hankey Kirke Ltd, (GHK) were appointed by The Secretary of State for the Environment to act as Architects for the restoration of the Castle and to prepare proposals for its Access, Presentation and Conservation. In 1984 Guardianship passed to the newly formed English Heritage. Following a review of the fabric, it became clear to GHK that the building was in a precarious condition with frequent falls of stonework from high level. As a result, an immediate programme of temporary scaffolding and propping was instigated to ensure the short-term stability of all parts of the building. GHK, working with English Heritage, were then able to focus attention on the works necessary to secure the long-term future of the castle. It became clear that the original intention to leave the Castle as a roofless ruin was incompatible with the materials of its construction, namely soft chalk behind a smart skin of Portland and Purbeck stone. GHK and English Heritage developed a new policy whereby the walls would be protected by re-roofing and re-fenestration of the window openings thereby preventing water penetration and subsequent weathering and frost damage to the soft chalk inner skin. This development allowed the possibility of public access and allowed much of the interior to be left ‘as found’. At Lulworth the opportunity has arisen to display what visitors do not normally see or expect to see. Stripped of its finishes by the fire and subsequent decay, the visitor can now see how the house was put together and then radically altered over the years. Many of these alterations are extensively documented in the family archive. The building thus afforded a unique opportunity to use techniques developed from archaeology to explain alterations and to show that archaeology is not just about buried remains but has equal value in understanding the development of the built form. As the conservation and restoration works neared completion, the potential of the spaces within the castle became increasingly apparent. Whilst the revised policy for the restoration had always envisaged public access and presentation, the facility to host functions on a regular basis within the castle was given new impetus by the active involvement of the Weld Estate and their trading arm Lulworth Leisure. The works were completed and the first phase opened to the public in March 1998.