Final slate placed on South Seddon turrets

Marking the placing of the final slate on the turrets of South Seddon of Old College, 5 March 2025. Left to right; Jon Greenough (Greenough & Sons); Neil Cains (Andrew Scott Ltd); Matthew Dyer (Austin Smith Lord), Jim O’Rourke (Aberystwyth University) and Calum Duncan (Andrew Scott) stand next to the new finial on the main South Seddon turret of Aberystwyth University’s Old College. Copyright Andrew Scott Ltd

Renovation of the distinctive turrets on the southern end of Old College is nearing completion as work on the ambitious project to breathe new life into the grade 1 listed building takes a significant step forward.

The last of the turrets’ green slates was nailed into place by north Wales based roofing specialists Greenough & Sons this week, as the project’s main contractor Andrew Scott Limited marked progress on this section of South Seddon.

Originally built in the 1860s as tea rooms, London based architect J P Seddon oversaw its development into a science block as part of the redevelopment of Old College following the great fire of 1885.

In its latest guise, South Seddon will house a business and enterprise hub and student study spaces.

Whilst the building is being transformed, many of its historical features have been retained, including what remains of the ventilation system installed in the science laboratories over 130 years ago.

In keeping with its architectural heritage, new slates on the building’s roof match the original ‘heather blue’ slates produced by the Penrhyn Slate Quarry in north Wales.

Heavier grade slates, 3000 of them, have been put on the sea-facing section of the building to better withstand the weather, whilst 3000 of the roof’s original slates have been salvaged and reused on the other side.

The original green slates for the three turrets would have been quarried in Dyffryn Nantlle, north Wales. With these no longer available, the closest match was sourced from Vermont in the USA.

Using traditional techniques, these slates have been cut individually to size as each row became progressively tighter higher up the turrets.

Unfortunately, the finial that stood on the main turret since the 1880s had corroded beyond repair.

Using historic images and what remained of the original, a new and exact copy is now in place.

Measuring 2.3 metres in length and weighing in at 30 kilograms, the new finial which features sections of wood, cast and wrought iron, has been produced by Rhymney based Acorn Restorations Ltd. 

New smaller finials made of cast iron and lead that feature on the smaller turrets are also in place.

The original cast iron guttering on South Seddon has also been cleaned and protected from the elements by a special marine tolerant coating.

And missing sections replaced with newly cast guttering made using moulds from the original guttering.

With the final slate now in place, new flashing is set to be installed around the base of the finials before work can begin to lower the scaffolding.

Jon Greenough from Greenough & Sons Roofing Contractors Ltd, said:

“We are delighted to be working on such a prestigious project and a building of such historical significance. Working so close to the sea where the team are often exposed to the prevailing winds from Cardigan Bay has made this work particularly challenging, but seeing the completed turrets gives everyone involved a tremendous sense of achievement. It’s also great to see a new generation of young roofers learn their craft on a historical building that requires such attention to detail but also gives an appreciation of the skill of previous generations who have worked on Old College.”

Shaun Davies, Project Manager for Andrew Scott on the Old College project said: “Completion of the turrets on South Seddon is a major step forward. The many ridges and valleys of the extensive roof of Old College make this a hugely complex task which requires great attention to detail.”

Matthew Dyer, Conservation Architect with Austin Smith Lord said:

“Old College is a remarkable building that has continued to change over the years.  South Seddon was originally a single storey building with a timber section added later. It was then redeveloped to provide state of the art science lecture theatres, teaching laboratories and private laboratories for the University’s Professors. Not only has our work revealed significant elements of the original building, we have also found arches that connected into Castle House, which was built in the 1790s and demolished in the 1890s to make way for the new science block.”

“This isn’t the first time the roof on South Seddon has been redone; it appears to have been replaced at least once before. Unfortunately, the slates on the turrets had been embedded in bitumen, making them impossible to reuse and preventing the roof from ‘breathing’. By using the traditional felt and batten approach with additional bonding over the original timber frame we hope to resolve the damp problems that affected this part of the building.”

Jim O’Rourke, Old College Project Manager for Aberystwyth University said: “This a hugely exciting project that is transforming this iconic building into a fantastic new 21st century resource for the University and the wider community. The revealing of the newly completed turrets, as the scaffolding on this section is lowered, will be an opportunity to appreciate the wonderfully intricate work that is being done on the Old College roof by the Greenough team. In all, around 70,000 slates are being replaced or salvaged by hand in what is a massive and complex undertaking.”

New Life for Old College

Old College, the iconic home of the first University College of Wales is being transformed into a major cultural and creative centre.

The project will provide a new centre for learning, heritage, culture and enterprise in three themed zones: World of Knowledge, Culture and Community, and Enterprise and Innovation.

Inspired by the University’s motto, World of Knowledge will include a centre celebrating pioneering Science and Research, a University Museum, a Young People’s zone with youth-led activities to boost skills, aspirations and wellbeing, a student study centre and a cutting-edge cinema facility.

Traditionally the beating heart of the Old College, the Quad will provide the focus for the Community and Culture zone’s exhibition galleries that will feature curated displays from the University collections and touring exhibitions from major partners. This zone also includes the UK’s first Centre for Dialogue.

The Enterprise and Innovation zone will provide 12 Creative Business Units and communal spaces to encourage young entrepreneurs in creative and digital businesses.

Up to 130 jobs will be created directly and indirectly and there will also be more than 400 volunteering opportunities.  There will be 4* hotel accommodation, bars, cafes and spaces for activities and events across 7 floors and 143 rooms, including a dramatic function room for 200 people with spectacular views across Cardigan Bay.

The project is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Welsh Government and the European Regional Development Fund, UK Government, the Coastal Communities Fund, The National Lottery Community Fund, philanthropic trusts and individuals.

The project is due for completion in 2026.

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