Project overview
The restoration of Stowe House is one of the largest, multimillion pound restoration projects ever undertaken in Britain (currently £39.6 million). Our expertise and fundraising energies were concentrated on a specific section of the overall programme. After consultation with the Stowe House Preservation Trust, we agreed to work on one of the most visually arresting rooms at Stowe, the Marble Saloon.
Roman grandeur
Awe-inspiring is an understatement. The Marble Saloon brings Roman grandeur and a sense of history to pupils and thousands of visitors every year. Years of deterioration, fractured stonework, and damage by school pupils have taken their toll.
The first challenge was the urgent roof repairs. Lack of maintenance meant that water penetration threatened the integrity of the interiors. In order to provide protection from the elements, cast iron water tanks were removed from the roof over the plastered dome. The roofs were then renewed to their original form with lead and slate coverings.
Intricate detailing
This project was conservation in its purest form and presented many such challenges. For example, parts of the intricate detailing of the frieze had been lost and damaged. A policy of minimal intervention was adopted, combining a sensitive cleaning of the ceiling with a sympathetic restoration to elements of the frieze. As there was no repeat pattern to the design, a nineteenth century photographic survey had to be consulted. The painstaking reattachment of broken elements, as well as the re-creation of missing pieces was a remarkable achievement. The appointment of Cliveden, a contractor with the relevant experience was also crucial.
Back to the original design
Once these works were complete, WMF Britain strove to reinstate the original furnishings and detailing of Bartoli’s meticulous design. Inappropriate modern lighting methods in the saloon were replaced by suspended lanterns, and suitable ironmongery was reintroduced to the doors. Loose slabs of the marble floor were re-bedded.
Next, optimum heating was introduced to ensure an appropriate environment to protect the repairs. Faced with a labour that would have taxed Hercules, the Stowe House Preservation Trust is now nearing its goal of a total restoration of the house, with the Marble Saloon at its centre.
The Marble Saloon restored to its former glory