Expert conservators are hard at work cleaning the house and contents at National Trust property Stourhead

A MAJOR spring clean is taking pace at Stourhead.

Members of the conservation team at the National Trust property, near Mere, have been hard at work in the house and grotto.

In the garden, layers of mud that have collected on the cobbled floor of the magical Grotto over the centuries have been cleared – often using small tools and toothbrushes, before repair work can begin on the collapsed 18th Century drain beneath the floor.

Meanwhile, in the house, the saloon is getting an in-depth conservation clean.

“We start at the top and work our way down, leaving nothing unchecked, undusted or in need of attention,” said Peta Henley, collections and house officer.

“We will have a small scaffold up at the back of the room to be able to reach the ceiling and will be using the teletower scaffold to do the other high work.”

Preventive conservation work will also soon be taking place inside one of Britain’s most famous temples, the Pantheon, which was designed by the architect Henry Flitcroft and built between 1753 and 1754.

Also known as the Temple of the Gods, the Pantheon houses historic artefacts such as the famous marble Hercules by sculptor Michael Rysbrack, an antique 2,000-year-old statue of Roman Empress Livia Augusta and eight delicate friezes by Benjamin Carter.

The work will keep the condition of the objects stable as they come under threat from ‘agents of deterioration’ such as light levels, wear and tear and humidity.

The garden at Stourhead features three temples which are cleaned biannually by a team of conservation staff, taking anywhere from one day to three weeks each.

Cleaning techniques vary from vacuuming to eye level dusting and full statue cleans, all using specialist equipment.

The buildings are continually monitored and larger projects such as work to preserve the exterior stonework are undertaken as required.

“Work to protect and conserve the collection doesn’t stop year-round, even when the house is closed to visitors during the winter,” Peta added.

“The team are currently hard at work in the temples, Grotto and the house to look after the rooms and objects with extra special care, to ensure that these special places can be enjoyed by everyone, forever.”