Restoration work completed
The first and largest of the six phases of restoration - the North Front and Colonnades - was completed at a cost of £5.8 million, having begun in July 2000 and taken two years. It was thanks to the generosity of many donors and grant-making trusts, especially the Heritage Lottery Fund, along with English Heritage, the Getty Grant Programme and Shanksfirst Fund (Landfill Tax Credit Scheme), that the restoration was achieved to such a high standard. This is illustrated in the adjoining 'before and after' images.

The total Phase 1 restoration cost was budgeted at £6,557,000. The Heritage Lottery Fund made a maximum 75% grant at £4,917,600 leaving the Stowe House Preservation Trust to find £1,639,400 of partnership funding. Towards this English Heritage pledged £980,000 and the Getty Grant Program awarded a grant of £166,666. This was added to by the multitude of small grants and donations which, at the time of writing, have raised £393,000 leaving a shortfall of £110,000 to be found. Successful tender negotiations for the professional fees and contract has reduced the projected Phase 1 cost to £5,812,000 and thus the outstanding partnership funding requirement for Phase 1 was £33,000.
Stowe School, having carried the responsibility of the stewardship of one of Europe's great houses since 1923, will continue to inhabit and use the House.
Phase Two of the restoration of Stowe House started in April 2003 and comprised of work to the roofs and south front of the Central Pavilion. The work here was to remove nineteenth and early twentieth century cast iron water tanks (sitting above the plastered dome) and to renew the roofs to their original form with lead and slate covering.
During the restoration, the opportunity arose to extend Phase 2 by restoring the interior of the Marble Saloon while the exterior was being done. This was thanks to a challenge from a generous US philanthropist, through the World Monuments Fund, who was particularly keen that the magnificent interior of the Marble Saloon should be restored while making safe its supporting structure. He matched pound-for-pound donations received from UK sources - be they individuals or grant-making trusts - towards this aspect of the work. The economics of using personnel, equipment and expertise already at work on the structure of the roof made this viable.
The interior work comprised of expert repairs to the plasterwork, scagliola columns and the marble floor, conservation of the structure and replacement of missing sculpture. Optimal lighting for the room and heating to ensure the best environment for the conservation of all of the repairs was installed.
Work started in July 2003 and was completed in July 2006. Visitors will now see both the impressive external features of the revitalised North Front and Colonnades, and also the freshly restored South Front portico and steps. Now, one of the most spectacular rooms of its kind in the country has not only been conserved but is also safer due to the renewed roofs.

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