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Stowe House Restoration Plan Steams Ahead
Featuring designs by Vanbrugh, Adam, Gibbs, Kent and Soane, Stowe is one of the finest 18th-century houses in Europe.
Like many great estates, it declined in the 19th century as the owners’ fortunes became depleted, and the Estate was eventually sold in the 1920’s to become a public school. Stowe School thrived educationally but the governors struggled to maintain the landscape gardens and the mansion house. In 1989 the gardens were passed to the National Trust, and in 1997 the Stowe House Preservation Trust was established; they took ownership of the House and embarked on an ambitious six-phase programme of repair and restoration, led by Architects Purcell Miller Tritton. Considering its history, the house today has not changed significantly from its arrangement in 1780 following dramatic extensions and rebuilding.
Bare, Leaning and Bare (part of the Synergy group), joined the project at its inception in 1999 and have provided quantity surveying services through Phases One and Two, which were generously supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and are currently on site with the third Phase of the programme, which is supported by the World Monument Fund.
Phase One, which involved the restoration of the north front and colonnades, was completed in 2002. The stonework, which had been suffering from cracking, was carefully pieced, the ornamental stucco was renewed and the backing brick extensively repaired. The colonnade roofs were re-laid in Westmorland and local stone slates, and grass was reintroduced into the forecourt.
The second phase of work to the central pavilion and the south portico was completed in 2006. The work included structural repairs to the central mansion roof and repairs to much of the stonework on the south portico, including the south steps, which were in poor condition. During Phase Two, the spectacular marble saloon interior was also restored. The saloon is an elliptical, domed room, loosely modelled on the interior of the Pantheon in Rome. It needed structural repairs as well as expert conservation to the plasterwork, scagliola columns and marble floor together with replacement of the missing sculpture. The decorative scheme was re-presented and new lighting was installed.
The third phase of the programme is currently underway. Again the work involves specialist stonework, re-rendering, reroofing and joinery repairs. Internally, the ornamental plaster ceiling to the Library which was in a parlous state has been stabilized, repaired and gilded. The floor has been strengthened where defective and the book presses restored.
In the immediate future a campaign of repairs will begin in the Staterooms. The work will be undertaken a room at a time whilst the remaining rooms, anterooms and corridors remain in occupation by the school. These internal works comprise the stabilizing and conservation of the highly decorative ornamental plasterwork, joinery and floor repairs, specialist decoration and conservation of painted scenes, as well as associated mechanical and electrical work.
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