Gibside Restored and Protected
Gibside is a 'forest garden' currently under restoration, embracing many miles of walks through woodland and beside the River Derwent.
The estate is the former home of the Bowes-Lyon family and boasts of several outstanding buildings, including a Palladian chapel, Column to Liberty, greenhouse and stables.
As the upper floor of the stable block was to be used as a dormitory the Trust looked to installing a sprinkler system to the ground floor area as a means of providing reliable 24 hour fire protection to the guests and consequently protection to the many old and valuable historic items currently on display.
UK Firewatch installed a wet pipe sprinkler system to the whole of the ground floor of the stable block controlled by two 150mm alarm valve set. The water supply was provided by a 150mm connection from the public water mains several hundred metres away and due to the difference in height between the main and the risk a pressure reducing valve had to be installed.
This little swallow knew the value of sprinkler protection when she built her nest on top of the sprinkler pipework.