Queen's University's fairy-tale castle was crumbling. A report cites 'ad hoc maintenance'

CBC

2 days ago

Herstmonceux Castle offered students a fairy-tale experience — the chance to learn at a centuries-old English estate, complete with a moat and peacocks strutting around the gardens.
But behind its beautiful red-brick facade, parts of the building in East Sussex, U.K., were cracking and crumbling.
In November 2023, Queen's University, which operates Bader College at the castle as its international campus, announced serious structural issues had been discovered and the site was no longer safe.
The castle was closed for urgent repairs and almost all staff were laid off. Students looking forward to another semester abroad were sent home.
"A lot of people were crying in the hallways," recalled Aaniqa Karmali, who was among those studying at the estate when it was abruptly shut down.
No detailed inspection for 28 years
The structural problems seemed to come without warning, but a report prepared by an architecture and surveying firm and obtained by CBC through access to information laws shows there hadn't been significant repairs or conservation of the castle's exterior in the decades since Queen's took it over.
It also found the building had "suffered from a period of ad hoc maintenance" resulting in a list of defects, and that nearly 28 years had passed since it had undergone a detailed inspection called a quinquennial report. (Quinquennial means once every five years).
A separate request revealed the inspectors drew up a five-year maintenance plan, providing an initial estimate of $14.2 million Cdn to fix all the issues they'd identified.
However, Queen's has only approved $5.5 million of that repair bill so far — enough to cover the most urgently needed work, which has largely focused on the castle's gatehouse.
The costly repairs come as the university, the largest employer in Kingston, Ont., grapples with an ongoing budget deficit that has forced layoffs, a hiring freeze and discussion about cutting courses with low enrolment.
The 2025-2026 budget for Queen's projects an operating shortfall of $26.4 million.
Once abandoned as romantic ruin
The university had anticipated the repairs would be complete in time for next school year, but now says they will run into the fall. As the work at Bader College continues, the question remains: Can Queen's afford to keep its castle?
Herstmonceux Castle dates back to 1441 and is considered an ancient monument, earning a Grade 1 listing from Historic England, the public body responsible for heritage sites in the U.K.
It has been a fabulous gift, but it has not been an easy gift for the institution to manage. - Patrick Deane, Queen's University principal
That's the highest level of protection available, meaning the castle is considered to be of "exceptional interest."
One of the largest and earliest-built brick structures in the country, the castle was abandoned as a romantic ruin in the 18th century before restoration began. It was eventually purchased by Alfred and Isabel Bader in the early 1990s. Alfred, a wealthy Queen's alumnus, then gifted the castle to his alma mater.
"It has been a fabulous gift, but it has not been an easy gift for the institution to manage," said the university's principal Patrick Deane, who's also chair of the Bader College board of trustees.
'It's not a holiday resort'
Administrators have always felt a moral as well as an academic obligation to "cherish" the facility, said Deane, who noted some maintenance has been done at the castle since the university became its owner.
However, he was unable to explain why inspectors found no significant repairs had been done to the building's exterior since the early 1990s, nor could he share specific details about past inspections of the estate, including whether they were carried out by trained professionals such as engineers or architects.
Asked about the optics of spending millions on a castle in England while dealing with a deficit at home, Deane defended the purpose of the college.
"I would encourage you to think of it not as a castle in Europe, but as a campus in another country," he said. "It's not a holiday resort we have. It's an important part of the university infrastructure."
Karmali, the Queen's student, was selecting courses for her first year when she came across the option to study in a castle. She said she was drawn by Bader College's small class sizes, opportunities to learn in the field — and of course, the idea of staying at a picturesque estate in the English countryside.
"The whole experience was very surreal," Karmali said, describing a campus that offered bucolic bliss with major cities and other European destinations just a short trip away. "When I look back at pictures, I'm in awe that I got to experience that."
But roughly three months into her time at the castle, she and her classmates at Bader received an email stating the building was no longer safe. Karmali said they were shocked.
"Everyone was really disappointed, really sad," she said.
Despite having her castle experience torn away, Karmali treasures her time there and said if she was given another chance to spend a semester at Bader she'd take it.
Still, the 21-year-old said she's frustrated that problems with the building weren't discovered sooner.
"I think it would have been smartest to do those inspections and do any necessary repairs before the next cohort of first-years came to the castle," she said.
'Ad hoc maintenance' in recent years
CBC obtained two documents about the castle through freedom of information requests. The first is an August 2024 report to the college's board of trustees seeking approval for the repairs and outlining their financial impact.
The second is an April 2024 quinquennial inspection report completed by a company called Gould Baxter for Queen's after the site was shut down.
The university initially refused to disclose the report to CBC, arguing in part that doing so "could affect the future viability of the Castle and its ability to earn revenue."
After CBC pushed back, Queen's released a copy with all but 77 of 321 pages redacted. Following an appeal to the Information Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, the university released more of the report detailing what the castle inspection uncovered.
It states that between 1993 and 1994, the building underwent renovations to prepare for its new role as a U.K. campus for the university.
"It is our understanding that no other significant repairs or conservation works have been carried out to the external fabric since 1994," the report reads, though it noted evidence of some recent maintenance.
The authors added: "During the course of our inspection it was evident that the Castle has suffered from a period of an ad hoc maintenance policy in recent years. This has resulted in a number of defects … which will need to be addressed in the short term."
Those defects were rated on a scale from one — meaning no repairs needed — to three, described as being "considered serious or urgent," and requiring repair or further investigation as soon as practicable.
Of the 896 areas or aspects of the castle that were inspected, 188 or roughly 21 per cent were scored "Condition Rating 3."
In the majority of cases, the probable cause of the issue is described as a lack of maintenance, damp penetration or a combination that included those factors.
Rotted window sills, weathered stone, damp stains, buckets on a conference room floor to catch drips from a leaky roof and a 10-millimetre crack from ceiling to floor were all among the report's findings.
It tells a story that's less a fairy tale and more in keeping with a centuries-old building showing its age, including a "fungal fruiting body" blooming in the corner of one bathroom.
No legal requirement for regular inspections
Historic England, which oversees heritage sites in the U.K., has been working with Queen's on the repairs and said it's aware of the findings in the report.
Asked if the organization had any concerns about what the inspectors found, and whether it believes the castle is being properly maintained, a spokesperson for the organization did not answer directly.
An emailed statement said much of the estate is in a "good state of repair," but noted it's a large and complex site, making it difficult to monitor some areas.
"We are extremely pleased that the owners of Herstmonceux Castle are implementing the proposed recommendations of the report," stated Historic England.
"We would not expect significant conservation works to be regularly undertaken … but it is appropriate that periodically more significant works might be expected on such an important building, along with smaller scale/localised repairs and maintenance in between."
The organization said there's no legal requirement for owners to routinely maintain or inspect a protected monument — every five years as part of a quinquennial report, for example.
However, a spokesperson wrote, quinquennial inspections are a "good way of planning repairs to ensure historic buildings are looked after for future generations," particularly when it comes to large buildings or estates.
Queen's could have been a better steward: professor
Mario Santana compares caring for historic sites to looking after your teeth with daily brushing and flossing.
"Let's say you wait 10 years to go to the dentist. When it comes [time] to go, the bill is going to be bigger, right? Because there are many things that have happened to you," said the Carleton University professor who specializes in architectural conservation.
Santana is a former secretary general of the International Council of Monuments and Sites, which develops standards to help protect heritage buildings around the world.
He has worked with Historic England in the past and reviewed the copy of the quinquennial report obtained by CBC.
Detailed inspections, usually every five to 10 years, are important for the upkeep of such historic sites — especially ones that are open to the public, he said.
"That's something that probably should have happened. It didn't happen," the professor said.
Santana said he doesn't believe there was any "malice" underlying the university's treatment of the castle, though it could indicate a lack of experience with handling historic sites.
The professor said he was specifically struck by the part of the report stating no significant repairs or conservation had been carried out to the castle's exterior since 1994.
While that doesn't mean no repairs were carried out, Santana said based on what he read, there doesn't appear to have been a priority list or systematic approach to preserving the castle — a common issue for heritage buildings.
"What that denotes is that there was no management plan, no maintenance plan," he said. "Probably, they should have been a better steward of the castle."
New business model needed
Deane, the Queen's principal, said while the problems with the castle are unfortunate, Herstmonceux has not been "neglected for 30 years."
"There would always have been other things commanding the attention of the leadership at the castle, and therefore the resources of Bader College to attend to it," Deane said. "That's the only explanation I can give."
The principal said the repairs done so far have been covered through the university's capital budget, just like any other campus building.
Annual returns for Bader College posted on the U.K. Charities Commission website show frequent budget deficits over the past five years, along with regular cash injections of $1 million or more from Queen's.
The documents describe the "key risk" to the campus as a sudden or persistent decline in income, and said student enrolment is needed to maintain a strong financial position.
Last year's budget report for Queen's shows a recommended tuition of $22,356 for each semester, with a planned intake of 155 students.
The estate itself does bring in some revenue from visitors who purchase tickets to tour the grounds and gardens, and as a venue for conferences and weddings. Still, the returns show the site finishes most years with either a marginal profit or a loss.
Report calls for millions more
While the documents obtained by CBC show $5.5 million has been set aside to fix up the castle's gatehouse, roof and some windows, Deane said he couldn't speak to whether Queen's will spend the other $8.7 million estimated by the quinquennial report.
"No decision has been made on any additional castle repairs at this time," the board of trustees report concludes in bold letters.
Despite the struggle and expense, Deane said Queen's is not considering selling its castle.
Instead, he said Bader College needs to find a different model, and suggested one that would see professors bring cohorts of students from Queen's and other universities to the site for anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month-and-a-half.
At the same time, the principal said he believes commercial activity at the estate must increase, and suggested the administration look to U.K. government programs that could reward the college for "rewilding" some of its sprawling 121-hectare grounds.
He pledged part of the castle's future will include a more proactive approach to repair and maintenance by building reviews and funding for fixes into its business model.
Historic England also said it's working with Queen's to come up with a recommended monitoring and maintenance program of the type Santana mentioned, which will ensure the building is cared for beyond the current repairs.
Deane said the Bader family's dream for the castle remains a "brilliant vision" that benefits both students and Queen's by giving the university a visible role on the global stage.
"It is, in that sense, something that I think should make us the envy of the Canadian university sector," he said.