The National Trust’s Southwell Workhouse is a historic, interactive building, where thousands of visitors every year experience what life would have been like in a Victorian workhouse. Built in 1824, it is the most complete workhouse in existence. Ian Williams undertook external repairs and redecorations to the building’s metal windows. The decorations were needed on the Workhouse’s south elevation, meaning access via a mobile tower was required. After an initial review, it was believed that the existing paint was lead-based. Therefore, careful preparation was undertaken to account for this, before the new paint was applied. A bespoke Dulux specification was used, with both undercoat and gloss applied. Three other projects were undertaken for the National Trust at the same time, but did not require the specific measures needed at the Workhouse.