22/10/2026
It is really exciting to see how this project is coming along.
🌿🏰 A GREEN ROOF FOR BETSY GRIMBAL’S TOWER!
Sometimes the best way to protect a medieval building is to let nature lend a hand!
As conservation work progresses on Betsy Grimbal’s Tower, one of the most recognisable surviving structures of Tavistock Abbey, an interesting technique called ‘soft capping’ is helping to protect its ancient stonework.
But what exactly is soft capping, and why is it so important?
🌱 Nature’s protective blanket
Rather than covering the exposed tops of historic walls with modern cement or hard materials, soft capping uses a carefully selected layer of soil and vegetation to create a living protective covering.
💧 Keeping the weather out: The vegetation helps absorb and manage rainwater, reducing the amount penetrating the vulnerable masonry below.
❄️ Protection from frost: The living covering helps insulate the wall tops against extreme temperature changes and damaging freeze-thaw cycles.
🧱 Preserving medieval masonry: By protecting the exposed stonework and historic mortar, soft capping can significantly slow deterioration.
🦋 Encouraging biodiversity: The vegetation can also provide a small but valuable habitat for insects and other wildlife.
🏰 Respecting the past: Soft capping offers a sympathetic conservation approach, preserving the character of the ruins without making them look artificially restored.
Conservation isn’t always about making something look new. Sometimes it’s about carefully protecting what has survived for centuries.
Through our Rediscovering Tavistock Abbey project, Tavistock Heritage Trust, working in partnership with Tavistock Town Council and with funding from Historic England, is helping safeguard this remarkable part of Tavistock’s medieval heritage for future generations.
Next time you pass Betsy Grimbal’s Tower, take a closer look. That greenery isn’t necessarily a sign of neglect. When carefully designed and maintained, it can be part of the science of conservation!
A little green protection for nearly a thousand years of history. 🌿
