Restoration project at stately home completed by a head

The project at Beningbrough Hall and gardens, near York, has seen the south bridge and door casing restored and this winter, work moved to conserve the north front of the property.

The main features of the entrance are the horses’ heads carved from local magnesian limestone, one of which had been severely weather damaged and Cliveden Conservation began the painstaking process of restoring the entrance to its former glory.

Using historical photographs from the National Trust archive and black and white images from Country Life magazine, a clay mould of the head was prepared and then carved in the same local stone.

As was the case 300 years ago, skilled craftsmen used lime mortar to complete the restoration work. The covered scaffold remained in place to allow the mortar to set before the grand reveal.

House manager Caroline Hill said: “As part of our Year of Conservation, it is really fantastic to have the hall’s main entrance restored to its original state.”

The Wolfson Foundation made a donation to the project. Details of it are on the Beningbrough Hall blog at www.beningbrough.blogspot.com