Sponsored by
Temple Newsam House: Restored rooms reopen
Two rooms in the oldest part of Temple Newsam House have been restored to their original state and are open to the to the public for the first time.
The two rooms have been restored to their eighteenth century appearance with the support of a 72,000 grant from the DCMS/Wolfson Foundation Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund/Building on Success.
* Click here to sign up to free news and sport email alerts from Cross Gates Today.
A special programme of talks will be taking place to mark the re-opening of the rooms:
September 22: 2.30pm–4pm Interior Restoration Revealed – people and personalities.
September 29: 2.30pm–4pm Interior Restoration Revealed – design decisions.
October 6: 2.30pm–4pm Interior Restoration revealed – the whole story.
It has taken eighteen months to complete the project which looked at the oldest parts of the house, some of which dates back 500 years.
* Click here to become a fan of Cross Gates Today on Facebook.
A huge team of experts including curators, conservators, carpet weavers and hand printed wallpaper makers used evidence from inventories, bills and scraps of wallpaper and material to restore the rooms.
* Click here for latest news in Cross Gates, Colton, Temple Newsam and Whitkirk.
Much of the houses interior decoration and fittings were destroyed in the war when Temple Newsam was used as a n Art Gallery. Since the 1980s there has been a concerted programme to restore the house and this latest work brings the number of restored rooms to 43.
The first room is Mr Cutts room – so called because it was described as the private room of Mordecai Cutts the Senior Estate steward in 1773, detailed in the chimney sweeps cleaning record. For Mr Cutts the room would have been a sitting room/office (room) but very much a work room.
The restoration project has involved replica wallpaper and carpets being made; both long and intricate processes. The wallpaper is a crimson flock wallpaper made by hand by Allyson McDermott from small fragments of the 1766 paper.
The function of this room has been varied (but it has generally remained a room for working and became)including a time as a schoolroom in the 1880s.
On display in this room for the first time is Temple Newsam's latest acquisition a 1740s Doll's house or Baby house reputed to have been decorated by Charlotte Bronte whilst working as a governess in Yorkshire.
The second room is Sir John Ramsden's Dressing Room. A dressing room was an informal bedroom which could also be used as an office. The wallpaper looks surprisingly contemporary and again is hand printed by Allyson McDermott. The carpet is a Wilton carpet woven by Avena carpets of Halifax. The room houses a stunning and unusual fireplace of which only the hearth was still in place.
A replica surround and mantel have been made from the same limestone from the 'Once a week quarry' in Derbyshire. The limestone is so unusual as it is full of visible fossils.
Leeds City Council lead member for Leisure Services Councillor Bill Hyde said: "The work that has been done is fantastic and really brings to life the past character of this part of the house. It is wonderful to see the fantastic work and precision which has gone into the project by such a large group of people."
Email to a friend
Print this page- Web poll: Who is to blame for Leeds United’s league position? VOTE HERE
- Leeds United: Redfearn given extended run at the helm
- Leeds United: Whites ponder next move in hunt for new manager LATEST
- Johnny Giles: Experience vital for Leeds United
- Leeds United: Billy Davies will listen if Whites come calling
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
