Mount Stewart
Mount Stewart, on the shores of Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland opened on Monday 20th April after a three year, £8million restoration project to return this grand, historical property to its former glory.‘There was a backlog of essential, structural work that needed to be addressed, including the installation of more efficient heating that meets strict conservation standards and we knew that this would have an impact on the decorative finishes, which also needed restorative work. So, it made sense to address all of these issues as part of a bigger, more comprehensive project,’ comments Frances.
Another member of the team, Jon Kerr, National Trust Manager at Mount Stewart adds, ‘It has taken a team of hundreds of people to bring our vision for this grand house to life including builders, joinery apprentices and expert conservators and curators. We also couldn’t have done it without our 200 volunteers who have helped with every aspect of the project including the restoration of fabrics and furniture.’
‘When it came to the decorative work, obviously the emphasis was on conservation but in some circumstances we just needed to sympathetically replace the original. For example, the curtains throughout the house which had been hanging since either the 20s or the 50s were in various states of repair. While the majority were taken down, cleaned and rehung, others needed replaced.
Read more in the July 2015 issue.
