Built in the middle of the 19th Century, Peckforton Castle is now one of the North West’s leading venues for leisure breaks, corporate events, conferences and weddings.
The castle has been used as a film location for numerous shows, too, including Robin Hood, Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes.
Since taking over the day-to-day running of the castle in 2006, managing director Chris Naylor has set about upgrading the visual aspect of this magnificent Grade I-listed building while still making sure it functions well as a working hotel.
Naylor said: “We successfully strike a fine balance between preserving the heritage of this magnificent venue and ensuring that all modern facilities run smoothly.”
Improving secure access to the facility
Improving secure access to the hotel’s stunning guest rooms was (and remains) an important part of Naylor’s development plan.
That being the case, early last year he contacted Simon Farmer of ACC Security Solutions to specify an electronic access control system for the newly restored wing of the castle.
During the most recent refurbishment of Peckforton’s new guest wing, ACC’s engineers fitted Paxton’s Net2 access control system with designer architectural readers to enhance the site’s stylish interior and increase security.
Farmer explained: “After taking a look around the hotel we knew aesthetics would be very important. Paxton’s architectural readers were perfect because they are so low profile it meant we could offer very discreet locking systems for the rooms.”
Architectural readers with glass inserts
To enhance the look and style of the hotel, Farmer chose to have architectural readers with glass inserts branded with the Peckforton Castle logo.
To match this, he used the free card designer feature in Net2 to create guest access cards in the same way for a really professional finish.
ACC has installed Paxton’s Net2 access control system on 22 doors, including the lift. Now, when guests arrive at Peckforton Castle they are given a professionally designed access card that works the lift and allows entry to their bedrooms.
Once in the lift, they swipe their cards on the reader and the lift knows exactly which floor to take them to. It will not give the guests access to any other floor.
Naylor is “really pleased” with how Net2 and the architectural readers are working for Peckforton.
He said: “The readers fit in really well here. I chose them because while they look discreet, I know they’re also a good bit of kit.”
