Mount Stewart, Co.

Down | Restoration in action

Originally posted online on 22 November 2014 at rmchapple.blogspot.com
(http://rmchapple.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/mount-stewart-co-down-restoration-
in.html)
The Gardens >

Early in this summer (2014) I was given charge of the Chapples Minor for the day and
the instruction you might like to take them to Mount Stewart. Now the history bit:
Mount Stewart [Website | Facebook | Twitter] is an 18th century house and decorative
gardens on the Ards peninsula, Co. Down. The estate, then known as Mount Pleasant,
was purchased by Alexander Stewart (16991781) in 1744. In 1789 Alexanders
son, Robert Stewart (1939-1821), was created Baron Londonderry, eventually being
elevated to Marquess of Londonderry in 1816. On his death, the estate passed
to Charles William Stuart (17781854), the 3rd Marquess. Aided by the significant
wealth of his second wife Lady Frances Anne Vane-Tempest (1800-1865) they set
about refurbishing and enlarging the house by now known as Mount Stewart. Those
works essentially created the exterior of the house as it appears today. After a period
of neglect by the family, the house became the permanent residence of Charles Vane-
Tempest-Stewart (1879-1949), the 7th Marquess, and his wife Edith Helen
Chaplin (1878-1959). Inspired by her ancestral home, Dunrobin Castle in Scotland,
Lady Edith set about redesigning the rather plain and uninspiring gardens, along with
a campaign of interior redesign and redecoration. The gardens were gifted to
the National Trust by Lady Edith in 1977 and the house and most of its contents were
also transferred by her last surviving daughter, Lady Mairi Bury (19212009), in 1977.

Mount Stewarts north-eastern faade

Weve visited the house and gardens on several occasions, turned up for National Trust
special events, brought friends and relatives to see the place and yet, I was surprised
at my wife making this specific recommendation. What she knew and I did not was
that Mount Stewart is in the middle of a rather large restoration project. Although
some remedial repair work had been undertaken in the 1980s, soon after the house
passed to the National Trust, much more was required. However, as Lady Mairi Bury
remained in residence at Mount Stewart, her failing health meant that large-scale
disruptions were not practical, even though necessary to secure the structure. With her
passing in 2009, a wide-ranging plan was devised to address significant structural
issues, along with bringing the interior back to what it would have looked like during
Lady Ediths tenure. As Denis Wright, the senior project manager, said in a blog
post about the restoration works: the drainage system is failing, there is serious
cracking to walls, ceilings and archways and the house requires a new conservation
heating system and complete rewiring. The project began in 2014 and will continue
until April 2015, the whole costing some 7 million. The project will bring together
large numbers of specialists and crafts people, managed by H&J Martin, the lead
contractor.

Introduction to the conservation work in the foyer

Rather than simply close down the house to allow these essential works to proceed in
peace and quiet, the National Trust kept it open and allowed visitors to come inside. I
think that if you went along expecting the National Trust standard display of house
perfectly preserved and presented, you may have been disappointed. Instead, what we
got was something really special an insight into the practicalities and aesthetic
approaches of how Mount Stuart is being conserved and cared for. The house is now
closed until April 2015. By the time it opens again all the work will be complete and
everything will be put back as it should have been. Im certainly looking forward to it.
From everything Ive seen, it is clear that the building will be structurally stable and
beautifully presented for the enjoyment of visitors for many years to come. If anything,
this underlines how rare and unusual getting to see the house in the process of
restoration actually is.
 Renovation of windows and doors
Ive divided my photographs into two sections. This post contains images of the house
under restoration, while the wonderful gardens designed by Lady Edith are in an
accompanying post (coming soon). As with all of these types of posts, I hope that
readers like the images, but more than that, I hope they act as inspiration to come to
Northern Ireland and see some of these places for yourselves!

Repairs to the decorative paving in progress

The south-western entrance, overlooking the gardens, getting some care and attention

Work in progress

Lots of scaffolding
 Paintings and mirrors are placed in protective casings

The Central Hall, usually a bright airy space, has been transformed
into a temporary storage facility for the house contents
 Wrapped up couches sit alongside pottery vessels

Stripped down chairs, labelled so the go back to the correct

places in the right rooms
 Pots under an occasional table space is at a premium!

New balustrades for the balcony not previously open to the public

Everything carefully stacked

Chests of drawers

Couches
Trophy head carefully wrapped up & waiting

Inside the Chapel

The Wikipedia article on Mount Stewart notes: One of the most stunning rooms at
Mount Stewart is that of the private 'Chapel'. This hidden gem is a double-height room
with stained glass windows and Italian paintings on its walls. You would not know
that when we visited, as it had been transformed into a two-level storage space to house
fabrics and paintings. The really remarkable thing about this construction is that it is
a self-supporting room-within-a-room it has been completely built inside the
Chapel, but without touching the sides, damaging the walls, or in any way
compromising the fabric of the building. When the restoration is complete, it will
simply be disassembled and removed, leaving the Chapel as before.

Conserved and packaged fabrics with

all the necessary details attached to return
them to their original locations
 Stacks of oil paintings

Paintings waiting to be rehung when conservation is complete

 Chapples Minor were given the loan of high
visibility vests and hard hats for their
trip around the house - a nice touch!

Demonstration of upholstery conservation with prints in storage behind

 Two conservators working on one remarkably intricate door

Door in the process of conservation

Still so much to be done, but it was time to sit on the lawn & have lunch!
The Gardens >

Notes:
The house may be closed, but the gardens are open all year round Go!
Explore! Enjoy!
Opening times: here.

Id also like to mention all the National Trust staff and volunteers, along with
the various craftspeople, builders, restorers etc. we encountered on our trip,
all of whom were delightful, eager to explain, and enlighten. Thank you all!

Resources:
You can keep up to date with all the restoration and renovation activity on
their Mount Stewart House & Restoration blog
Wikipedia
UTV News