The Restoration of Stowe House
The stewardship of one of the country's grandest 18th century Houses is an immense task. Stowe House is on English Heritage's list of buildings at risk, and has been named by the World Monuments Fund as one of the 100 most endangered sites of world significance.
What has been achieved?
Thanks to the generosity of many donors and grant-making trusts, most particularly the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage, the first two phases of a planned six-stage programme have been achieved to a magnificent standard. The impact of the northern aspect as you approach Stowe is breathtaking: the curving colonnades, formerly crumbling and discoloured, now gleam with fresh stone and a vibrant golden colour. Urgent roof repairs have saved priceless interiors including the famous Marble Saloon, itself now resplendent with conserved scagliola work and brilliant decorative plaster. A visitor centre welcomes the public and demonstrates the evolution of this vast, complex building. A lift now allows disabled visitors to see the piano nobile and the principal state rooms.
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Please click on an image to enlarge.
The Next Phase of the Restoration
We are delighted to report that the next phase of the major restoration of Stowe House is underway. It is a two year project, being carried out in two sub-phases. Sub-phase 1, completed in July 2010, involved the restoration of the roofs, elevations, facades, balustrades and garden on the Eastern Pavilion and State Library side of the House. As part of this phase, the Library and Ante Library, immediately to the east of the central pavilion, have undergone a magnificent restoration. A pitched roof (replaced some years ago with a flat felt roof) has been restored and below it work has been completed on the valuable and ornate plaster ceiling. This has been re-gilded to match its remarkable condition in the later 18th century.
The project will significantly enhance the appearance of the South Front and secure in particular the roofs of the House for the next 75 years and beyond. We are extremely grateful to all those who have generously contributed to the project. It is a wonderfully exciting development that is being generously funded by an anonymous donor through the World Monuments Fund, and by the Robert W Wilson World Monuments Challenge Fund and a great many other individual benefactors.
Making a Gift to support this project
Raising the funds necessary for this and future phases of the restoration will be a significant challenge, but it is clearly one that we must rise to. With the generosity of all quarters of the Stowe community, and those with a passion for the restoration and preservation of historic buildings, we are confident of ultimate success. Donations of all sizes will be important: as our achievements to date have shown, it is the accumulation of large and more modest gifts that will be crucial to reaching the fundraising targets.
If you would like to discuss how you might help with the restoration project, or you would wish to obtain further information, please get in touch with the Director of the Campaign for Stowe, Colin Dudgeon. All his contact details are provided here.