Cardiff Castle, where one of the largest conservation projects in the UK is currently underway, was due to host an international symposium on 14 February (after we had gone to press) to share the findings of the investigative first phase of work at the 2,000-year-old site.

The £8million, five-year restoration programme, supported with £5.7million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, is both the largest conservation project in Wales and the largest arts conservation project of its type in the UK.

With internal refurbishments due to start in May, the findings of the extensive programme of research and analysis that has preceded and will inform the work, were to be shared at the one-day conference, hosted by Cardiff County Council who own the castle.

Questions such as \'how do we stop the damp?\' and \'how do we stop the paint from peeling?\', as well as other conservation issues, were to be explored.

The findings of the research will not just benefit Cardiff Castle. The problems found at the Castle have much in common with the relatively simple Cardiff Victorian terrace. Many such houses have quite slender, solid masonry walls, just like those at the Castle.

Kate Clarke, Deputy Director of Policy & Research at the Heritage Lottery Fund (which is also supporting the symposium), said that at the conference she would be emphasising the importance of using research to inform conservation projects.

"Research is not a luxury to be dispensed with when funding is tight. It is an essential first step in any conservation project and without it we risk damaging what we value," she said.

Over the past 18 months visitors to the Castle have noted monitors and probes inside and the Cardiff Castle weather station outside. These are all part of the programme of research.

Environmental Building Solutions have monitored the environment both inside and outside the building, providing scientific input to help determine how this effects building elements and what would be the most suitable environments.

The programme has also included laboratory analysis by Ingram Consultancy to identify mortars that best deter penetrating dampness and identify repair techniques for thin, solid walls.

Extensive technical analysis of the castle\'s decorative interiors has been carried out by Hirst Conservation. And building services engineering by Martin Thomas Associates will improve environmental conditions at the site.

The conservation will be wide-ranging, from the stone Roman Walls and Norman Keep to the ornate Burges interiors. The project will open up areas that have not been accessible since World War II - such as the extensive mural galleries inside the embankments.

New building work will include the creation of a new visitor reception designed by Niall Phillips Architects and the restoration of the basement to create an education centre, work led by architects Donald Insall Associates.

John Edwards, Cardiff Castle Surveyor to the Fabric, who is responsible for leading and developing the conservation work, said: "One of our main problems is the slenderness of the castle walls to the house. Here we are making great progress in determining the most appropriate materials and techniques to stop the damp.

"If there ever was an example where art truly meets science in conservation, this is it. We focused on the deployment of a multi disciplined team, maximising the intellectual input and the varied expertise from a number of professional disciplines was considered to be the means by which to ensure that the whole exercise would be totally comprehensive."

Other speakers at the symposium on 14 February were due to include: Tom Lloyd, chair of the Wales Historic Buildings Council; Elizabeth Hirst, director of Hirst Conservation; Professor John Ashurst, leading the team at Ingram Consultancy in mortar and masonry research; and Dr Jagjit Singh, leading building scientist and director of Environmental Building Solutions.

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