26 August 2025
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Climate control specialist Munters has installed dehumidifiers in archive rooms at Belvoir Castle to protect historical records from deterioration and moisture damage.
The castle has been the ancestral home of the Duke of Rutland’s family since 1067. From the days of the Norman conquest to modern day, it is regarded as one of the finest examples of Regency architecture in the world.
One of the many historical documents housed at Belvoir Castle
To ensure the preservation of precious archives for future generations, Belvoir Castle chose Munters to install dehumidifiers in the castle's archive rooms. These rooms house a vast collection of books, documents, maps, manuscripts, estate management records, with the oldest document dating back to 1103.
The passage of time has taken its toll on many of the documents, and humidity and moisture has caused visible damage such as mould growth, yellowing, and discolouration.
Recognising the need to protect the irreplaceable records, Belvoir Castle previously tried commercial dehumidifiers with little success. Munters was then selected to design a dehumidification solution tailored to the unique challenges of the castle.
Each of the five dehumidifiers installed were selected to maintain consistent relative humidity levels of 50-55% RH, preventing further damage and ensuring the long-term preservation. This solution meets the British Standard BS4971 for conservation in archives, as well as reducing the need for additional heating, which in turn saves energy.
One of the archive rooms at the castle
His Grace David Manners, 11th Duke of Rutland, said: “You can see why an industrial solution is needed. Due to the thickness of the castle walls, having one dehumidifier in each of the archive rooms is essential.”
“Working within a castle presents additional challenges,” added Glen Wilson, Munters Sales Team Leader, Southern UK Team. “Due to the castle being Grade I listed, we could not drill holes in the walls to duct wet air out of the archive. This is why condenser dehumidifiers were selected.”
For more information visit the Munters website.
