STAFF at Castle Drogo are 'breathing a sigh of relief' after severe storms battered the castle — but left no lasting damage.

Strong winds and heavy rainfall on January 6 hammered down on the castle, which stands exposed to the elements atop a hill in the Teign Valley.

Drogo is currently undergoing a five year £11-million renovation project to save the castle from major structural problems caused by serious leaks and water penetration throughout the building.

The severity of the weather initially led staff to believe that the renovations could be badly affected, but the damage was mostly limited to the white sheeting shrouding the castle's scaffolding. The castle grounds were closed during the storms, due to falling tree branches in the garden.

Paula Clarke, community engagement officer for Castle Drogo, said: 'We were very lucky, and we got off a lot more lightly than we initially expected.

'On Monday January 6, the storms were awful. The wind was coming in a different direction to normal.

'We can cope well with the prevalent winds, but when they come as strongly as that from a different direction, it can be very damaging.

'The majority of the damage was to the white sheeting, which was ripped to shreds. The scaffolding itself held, which is testament to the very good design of the scaffolding here at Drogo. The guys are hoping to get the sheeting put back by the end of this week so renovation work can continue.

'We were really concerned there could have been very serious damage to the castle and the scaffolding. Where the sheeting ripped, there was water getting in to the castle – but we are used to that here at Castle Drogo!

'Quite a lot of water has gotten into the basement, in the wood store, but we have been awfully lucky. Apart from a few days lost to fixing the scaffold sheeting, we are all go here at Drogo. We are all breathing a sigh of relief.'

The renovation work being done at Castle Drogo is on a massive scale.

More than 64 kilometres of mortar joints need repointing, and all 917 windows of the property, made up of around 14,000 individual panes, need to be removed and repaired before being put back in place.

This includes the single biggest window in any National Trust property.

The property is to remain open to visitors throughout the work, though the on-going building work will have a dramatic influence on what visitors will see when they visit Castle Drogo.

Contents and furniture have been relocated elsewhere in the castle and rooms will be presented in new ways.

Other rooms, including a staff flat and the roof formerly unseen by the public, have been opened up to show work in action.

To find out more about Drogo and its renovation work visit http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/castle-drogo">www.nationaltrust.org.uk/castle-drogo or call 01647 433306.