Facilities

Splendid Leeds Castle Impressed with Pelco Esprit
by Denise S. Dieser, Marketing Communications Writer, ddieser@pelco.com

The Leeds Castle, most appropriately known as "The Loveliest Castle in the World" as expressed by Lord Conway, was originally built in AD 857 as the royal manor of the Saxon Family. This fascinating castle and its 500 acres of lush green parkland and beautiful gardens is set on two lake islands located near Maidstone in the heart of the picturesque county of Kent in the southeastern region of the United Kingdom.

Legendary Castle History

The castle has served as inspiration for countless artists over the centuries with history steeped in over a thousand years of mystery and intrigue. As described on its website, the castle has been not only a Norman stronghold, but also the royal residence for many Kings and Queens – the most famous was Henry VIII, who converted it from a fortress into a royal palace. During World War II, it was also secretly employed to develop weapons and safety systems.

Lady Baillie, the longest-known resident in its history, bought the famous castle during the Roaring Twenties and spent the next half century transforming and preserving it for future generations to enjoy and appreciate. At her death in 1974, Lady Baillie bequeathed the castle to the Leeds Castle Foundation, which is entrusted with protecting the unique character of the castle within its peaceful setting.

The year 2001 marked the castle’s Silver Jubilee – 25 years since the castle officially opened to the public. Today, Leeds Castle provides fascination and enjoyment to over a half a million visitors every year.

Video Security Indispensable

With an increasing number of high-profile guests and other visitors to the castle each year, video security has become crucial for observing the extensive grounds where guests enjoy an array of special modern-day events and activities – from concerts, fireworks, and children’s events to themed dining evenings, open air theater, golf, hot air ballooning, or even a serene stroll through its gardens or a visit to the Aviary. The castle is also an idyllic locale for weddings and anniversary celebrations.

"An up-to-date CCTV system is essential nowadays. It provides us with an extremely valuable tool to ensure all our visitors have a safe and enjoyable experience," said Andrew Wells, Curator at the Leeds Castle.

Secure Engineering Selects Pelco Esprit

Secure Engineering Ltd., the Maidstone-based CCTV specialists awarded the Leeds Castle installation, assisted the castle with the development of its own on-site control room in addition to designing and installing the video security system.

"We led them from old-style pan/tilt/zoom cameras connected via fiber-optic to Pelco Esprit integrated P/T/Z cameras connected via NVT units and twisted-pair cabling," said Phil Stewkesbury, Director of Business Development for Secure Engineering.

"We used the latest video transmission and telemetry technology to solve the challenge that – because of the sheer size of the castle estate – some of the cameras installed are up to 1.5km (about a mile) from the CCTV Control Room. Cat 5 cabling was installed at a fraction of the cost of traditional fiber-optic cabling."

Low light levels were a concern, and Esprit uses the latest technology to provide color images in very low light conditions. Esprit also provides the full 360-degree coverage – with no exposed cabling – and 22x zoom capability needed at the castle.

Stewkesbury said the cameras also needed to be inconspicuous. "The Esprits were ideal. We arranged for Pelco to paint them black so that they virtually disappear on top of the matt black camera columns." The installation was started in December, he said, and is ongoing, with another Esprit currently being installed.

Having a good video security system installed at the castle paid off recently during a visit by some dignitaries. Stewkesbury said that suspicious individuals were seen at the castle entrance by the cameras and were subsequently detained.

"The castle staff are very impressed with the camera performance."

For more information on the Leeds Castle, you may visit its website at www.leeds-castle.com.

Secure Engineering, Ltd. has been completely focused on CCTV in the UK since 1988. Please visit its website at www.TheCCTVcompany.co.uk  for more information on this and its other prestigious installations.