Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith Season 1 Episode 9 reveals the restoration of architect Edwin Lutyens' original vision at Ashby Manor, showcasing the importance of preserving architectural heritage. At Mapperton House, the Countess searches for valuable tapestries hidden beneath the bed, uncovering fascinating treasures from the past. Plus, what does it take to keep a haunted castle happy? Discover intriguing history, restoration challenges, and remarkable stories in Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith.
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00:02The green, rolling landscapes of Great Britain are home to the jewels in the country's rich heritage.
00:13Our country houses.
00:19Celebrated across the world for their design and decoration.
00:27Their crowns and gardens.
00:33And their centuries of history.
00:40There was a time when owning a grand country house meant a great deal.
00:45These estates were the keys to fortune and power.
00:50But today's country house owners live in a very different world.
00:54The sound of petrol!
00:56No, no, no, wrong way!
00:58These houses are still the grandest in the land.
01:02This is Oliver Cromwell's room.
01:03But the challenge of keeping them in one piece has never been greater.
01:07Spiral of decay, I don't like the sound of that.
01:10Ballpark figures, 350,000.
01:12Gulp.
01:13Gotta get these lights fixed.
01:14Today's owners are becoming ever more imaginative.
01:18Bon appetit.
01:19We're finding ways...
01:21I'm literally ankle deep right now.
01:23To keep the money coming in.
01:25These estates aren't designed to make money, they're designed to eat money.
01:29To keep the ceiling from falling down.
01:31And I turn the corner into here.
01:34Oh my goodness.
01:35We are collecting leaks, as you can see.
01:37And stop their fears becoming a reality.
01:40I think of all the ancestors going back 900 years.
01:44If we fail, it's on our watch.
01:47Of course, being to the manor born has always been a privilege.
01:51But today's owners face challenges as never before.
01:55So, they're rolling up their sleeves and putting their heart and soul into brave new ventures.
02:01The question is, how do you save a country house and see it prosper in the modern world?
02:23ORCHESTRAL MUSIC
02:30As we've seen at so many of the houses we've been visiting, country houses today tend to
02:37be a product of many eras and numerous individuals.
02:41But more than any other that we're following, the look and feel of our first house today
02:46was shaped by one key person a century ago.
02:50That person's work is now being put front and centre once again as a defining feature for
02:57the house's future.
03:01We're heading to Northamptonshire for another visit to Ashby Manor House.
03:09The house we see today has been shaped over many centuries and the latest in a long line
03:15of custodians is Nova Guest, who is proud of this beautiful home's rich architectural evolution.
03:23Ashby Manor House, at its core, is an Elizabethan house, but it has a number of architectural
03:28influences.
03:29So we have the Catesby Wing, which is 16th century.
03:33The gardener's cottage, which is 17th century.
03:38Viewed from the east, however, the hand of Edwin Lutyens becomes obvious.
03:46The most famous architect of the early 1900s spent over 30 years working at Ashby.
03:54He created a whole new facade and designed formal gardens and parkland, turning this centuries-old
04:04manor house into an Edwardian design icon.
04:08A hundred years later, the grounds are looked after by Ashby's regular landscaper, Finn Toner,
04:15still in awe of Lutyens' eye for detail.
04:19The whole house and the whole design, the whole Lutyens' design is based around this central
04:23feature through the canal, so you've got centre of the house working out this fantastic landscaping,
04:27but it doesn't just stop there, it carries on all the way through to the end.
04:31With symmetrical new hedging and sight lines down to the lake, Lutyens' clear vision was then for an
04:38open parkland, dotted with single large trees.
04:44In recent generations, though, this vision has become slightly less clear.
04:50You actually look through from the house, you can't see there's a lake there at the moment,
04:54because the reed bed and everything's so high.
04:57And closer to the house, extra trees have appeared, surrounded by shrubs and undergrowth.
05:04Now, Nova and her team are on a mission to remove the imposters and restore Lutyens' original vision.
05:11None of this is supposed to be here. The ash tree are probably self-seeded.
05:16So we've got three areas that we're going to be looking at, and they've started on the first one.
05:23We're clearing the island essentially, so unfortunately the ash is going to come down,
05:27and then we're re-prepping all the ground, trying to get rid of all the root structure of all the
05:31weeds,
05:32and then we're going to create it back into lawn.
05:34This is going to look very different.
05:36Yeah, move on down to the second one.
05:38So this again is all coming out and going back to lawn.
05:41Bigger units will come out, get laid over, ready for getting chipped up,
05:44and then we'll go through, strim out all the smaller stinger nettles and brambles and stuff like that.
05:49Yeah, this is quite a big job.
05:51The decision to return the parkland to its 1900s design may not be in tune with Nova's modern sensibilities,
05:58but it's necessary to keep Ashby grounds looking their best for paying visitors.
06:05I mean, obviously the environmental side of my brain is like, we shouldn't be pulling anything out of the ground.
06:10Uh, you know, that's not really what we're doing these days.
06:15But thinking about Lutyens, I think he'd approve.
06:18You know, he'd landscape the grounds.
06:21And I think that we are doing the right thing.
06:27Taking down these ash trees, you know, there's a lot of ash dieback in the area currently anyway,
06:31so it's less heartbreaking, if you know what I mean.
06:36Getting them down is quite easy and quick.
06:38Just got to avoid the lawnmower.
06:40That's one lad that's always doing his job.
06:44Cutting down a tree takes no time at all for an experienced landscaper like Finn.
06:50Doing it well, on the other hand, requires some proper planning.
06:54And Finn has a trick up his sleeve to ensure minimum impact to Ashby's carefully maintained grass.
07:02Just lay that there so when it comes over, some of the branches will spike straight into the ground
07:08and just a little bit of a crash mat just saves hurting the lawn too much.
07:26But with the sound of chainsaws humming away, Nova is still worried about the end result.
07:34We can plant lots of more beautiful beach trees on that side and then it's going to be okay.
07:42As country house projects go, removing trees and planting new ones makes a big impact for relatively
07:50little cost. So, it's a smart way for Nova to spend her limited resources.
07:56Even if she won't be the one to sit in the shade of the trees about to be planted.
08:02For finances and stuff, you've got to really aim at the correct places because you can't just do all
08:07of it. There's just so much area, so much ground, so much you could do. You really need to focus
08:12your
08:12funding into the bits you think are going to make the biggest difference.
08:17We have the business running to be able to have the funds available to do wonderful projects like
08:23this. But we're doing projects like this because we feel that the grounds are improved.
08:30You know, when we have all these visitors, sometimes we have weddings that are up to a few hundred people
08:34and we have people walking through the grounds. This can't have sort of bracken and weeds and things
08:40coming out of a planting pocket just because we haven't quite been able to deal with it.
08:44We're going back to how it should be. We're taking the landscape back to how Lutton's intended it to be.
08:49And that's going to be wonderful for visitors coming here because it looks how it was supposed
08:54to be, how it was planned out 120 years ago.
08:59As much of the ash trees as possible will be put to good use.
09:04The smaller branches will be turned into wood chip, whilst the bigger limbs and trunk will be saved
09:10for firewood. And to control costs, Finn has given himself an ambitious schedule.
09:17So we're probably here for about three days. By the end of the day today, we'll hopefully have all
09:21the trees down. When he told me his time scales, I was like, are you sure?
09:30I mean, I actually thought he was going to be bringing four guys in, but here they are,
09:34two of them and they go absolutely hammer and tongs. But Finn has brought in some serious hardware
09:42to keep things moving. It's like an army tanker, isn't it? Looks like it's from another time.
09:52I could do with that vehicle here all the time to be honest.
10:07Felling a tree may be quick and easy, but what's left behind could prove more difficult and
10:13costlier to deal with. We've budgeted this orb without a stump grinder, but I'm not quite sure
10:21how you, I thought all trees, stumps need to be ground out with it. You get this proper machine.
10:27So that's in my mind, because we can't have a stump sticking out of the ground.
10:42At Ashby Manor House in Northamptonshire, it's a day of traumatic change in the surrounding parkland.
10:53I don't think I can even watch the next one because...
10:56But whilst owner Nova Guest's ash trees come down, her landscaping costs are going up.
11:03There are quite big stumps for the machinery that we've bought today, but on trees that's established,
11:08it's probably going to end up more of a stump grinder job than it is pulling it with the machine.
11:12It will add a little bit of cost because obviously we have to bring the other machinery over in it.
11:16There's probably a few hours working, grinding them out and then we've got to get the machine here
11:20and get it back and fuel and yeah, all adds up.
11:27Landscaper Finn has two trees down and has now moved on to the second area that needs to be cleared.
11:36It's been a busy day. It's already possible to see the impact of Finn's work,
11:41and Lutchen's vision is slowly returning to Ashby.
11:48If you look, you can start to appreciate all the beautiful trees which were really hidden from view before.
11:57Tomorrow, he'll be coming to focus on all the reeds and bulrushes along the front of the lake.
12:04So you'll be able to sort of walk down to the lake and actually walk up to the water, which
12:08will be amazing.
12:11I'd like to think I am truly doing everything that not only Lutchen's but future generations will see what I
12:23have been,
12:23and the vision that we've had and the thought process behind why we did it.
12:40Both the joy and the challenge of gardens is how they change and evolve over time.
12:47So, as we've seen at Ashby Manor, major steps are now being taken to restore the landscape to how it
12:54was intended to be.
12:56The same can apply inside a house too, as time takes its toll on family treasures.
13:02And when those treasures are handmade and centuries old, the time and cost to restore them can be enormous.
13:13Down in Dorset, this is exactly the challenge being faced at Mapperton House.
13:22Once voted Britain's finest manor house, Mapperton is the seat of the Earls of Sandwich.
13:29The current earl is Luke Montague.
13:32But this has only been the family home since 1955.
13:37In country house terms, the Montague family are relative newcomers to Dorset.
13:43So this is like the private side, if that makes sense.
13:47This is where we live, the back of the house.
13:49And then we're going to come through here.
13:51And this is where we open it up to the public.
13:56Chicago-born Julie is the current Countess of Sandwich,
14:00and the third generation of the Montagues to live here.
14:03But her home is full of heirlooms from the family's previous and even larger house in Cambridgeshire.
14:10And there's not quite enough space here.
14:13Even though this is a big house, most of it is open to the public.
14:17So there's actually not a lot of space, which I know sounds crazy,
14:20but there's no space actually for me to have a room where I can store things.
14:25A case in point is Julie's big restoration project at the moment,
14:30the Montague's 18th-century tapestries.
14:35These tapestries have been displayed in various rooms at Mapperton since the family moved here.
14:41But a closer look reveals how degraded their wool and silk has become.
14:48They've now been taken down and all bar one are in storage, awaiting conservation work.
14:54But you can't simply tidy these massive works of art into a cupboard or pop them under the bed.
15:00Could you?
15:02I had to store the tapestries that have yet to be restored underneath a bed,
15:09in a room that's open to the public.
15:15Just one second.
15:16Unfortunately, this means that gaining access to them is now rather a cumbersome job.
15:21What I want to get out is, of course, the one that's really difficult. So just one second.
15:26The tapestries here at Mapperton have been so close to my heart.
15:30And they were in such a state. They are in such a state.
15:34They're so stuck because it's so long.
15:37This has been a dream of mine.
15:41To get as many of these tapestries restored as I possibly can.
15:45You know, they have sentimental value because they've been a part of the Montague family
15:49for hundreds of years.
15:52Restoration work on the historic tapestries, however,
15:55is a dying art that's painstaking and slow and horribly costly.
16:01It's the gift everybody that keeps on giving.
16:04Reinvigorating the largest tapestry will cost Julie more than £100,000.
16:09We're not done yet.
16:10I think we are.
16:12We're not. One more.
16:13But Julie does have one ace up her sleeve to help foot the bill.
16:17Her sizable online following.
16:19What we're doing is restoration projects within the house that need to be conserved and repaired.
16:28Putting those restoration projects out on social media.
16:32One under here is much bigger than this one.
16:35And asking our followers to donate towards these projects.
16:40That's exactly what we're doing and it's working.
16:43So I'm going to have to move these.
16:46So far, Julie has raised enough money for work on a different, smaller tapestry to get underway.
16:53It depicts a classical garden complete with ornate fountain and peacock.
16:59This tapestry has been in the hands of the restorer for several months now.
17:05And it's now time for Julie to get on the road and look in on the restoration process.
17:12So this tapestry has been a part of the family collection since the 18th century.
17:19And I'm visiting Emma Telford in her wonderful workshop.
17:24And she has started the work.
17:27Based in Hereford, Emma Telford is a specialist textile conservator
17:31who's worked on tapestries for the likes of Blenheim Palace.
17:35So I've got it ready for you to have a look at under here.
17:39Oh my goodness. Wow.
17:44And she has been hard at work on the Montague family tapestry
17:48for the last few months.
17:52Lots of pins.
17:54Look at all those lovely colour pins and lots of threads here.
17:57So a lot of work being done.
17:59It looks a bit of a mess, but I often think things start,
18:03they look worse before they get better.
18:05Well, I can already tell it looks so much better.
18:10Emma's first job was to give the tapestry a very delicate bath.
18:14And she's now looking at the wool and silk itself.
18:19It's clear she's not the first person to carry out a restoration.
18:24That is where the original silk weft has entirely disappeared,
18:29almost entirely.
18:30These are remnants of it here.
18:33But the rest of it has gone, and it's got this ugly wool repair running through it.
18:40And I'll take them out, but somebody's spent a long time doing them.
18:44And if they hadn't done that, it could be that even more of the tapestry,
18:49that the physical bits of the tapestry would have fallen away.
18:52So, you know, you have to be respectful of that.
18:56Somebody's taken the trouble.
18:57Somebody else in the past, 100 years ago, maybe longer than that,
19:01thought that it was worth looking after and did their own version of these tapestry repairs.
19:08So, it's part of the history of the object, isn't it?
19:11So, this is the conservation stitching, and it reintroduces some of the integrity
19:25of the design that's lost by just infilling with the suggestion of the colour that was there originally.
19:32And it stabilises the actual physical material of the tapestry,
19:39which you can see otherwise would be just all hanging like that.
19:44This is all going to consolidate it so that the design isn't distorted,
19:50and the material is secured, so that it can be displayed.
19:59In the neck of the peacock here, there is actually quite a bit of the original silk still remaining.
20:08So, this is all original silk.
20:11Right.
20:11And then I've colour matched where the silk has actually come out altogether, like here.
20:18I've colour matched and infilled the losses.
20:22So, these threads here are the tail ends of my threads, my sewing threads.
20:28And you can see the colours that I've been using.
20:32This is going to be tricky as well.
20:34Yeah, that's going to be tricky.
20:35Yeah.
20:36Well, in the tail feathers of the peacock,
20:40we can just make out some remnants of the design.
20:44So, here are obviously some bits of peacock eyes.
20:48Most of these bits are wool and this is silk.
20:52And most of the silk has dropped out.
20:54So, there's going to have to be a certain amount of artistic license, really, because I can't see
21:00what the actual original looked like.
21:03Yeah.
21:03I'm building up to that.
21:05I'm building up to the tail.
21:08With sections in such bad condition, it's easy to see how Emma's work takes weeks to complete.
21:16But Julie is delighted to see her beloved tapestry slowly coming back to life and can't wait to be
21:22able to show off the finished product to Mapperton's visitors.
21:27Honestly, if you had talked to me about three years ago, I would have never in a million years
21:33thought I'd be sitting here with Emma watching this happen.
21:37And it's all thanks to her loyal international following.
21:42So, I raised $20,000 for this tapestry.
21:48If you're passionate about a project that you want to preserve for future generations,
21:54people will get on board with it.
21:57It's really exciting.
21:59And the fact that you've managed to interest so many people
22:03to do that in a very short space of time is really amazing to me.
22:08And nobody's making anything like this now.
22:10In that respect, it's kind of priceless.
22:12It's irreplaceable.
22:15When you're saving a country house, moments like this,
22:18that witness hard work paying off, truly are to be cherished.
22:27Well, that was wonderful.
22:29That was like all of your efforts coming together,
22:34because I've had this obsession with these tapestries.
22:39I look at Mapperton as like little, like mini battles, basically.
22:45And so, I feel like I'm winning this small battle.
22:49But Mapperton is a bigger beast than that.
22:52And you're never, ever going to complete the puzzle.
22:56Ever.
22:57It's literally impossible.
23:12A country house is not a project that will ever be completed.
23:17I think that much is clear from what we've seen.
23:20A series of mini battles is how Julie Montague at Mapperton rather brilliantly sums it up.
23:28We're paying a final visit now, though, to a castle where it's fair to say something
23:33has been completed.
23:35This will ultimately become just one chapter in its very long history.
23:40But the castle is now looking at its best, seems well set for the future,
23:45and is a wonderful tribute to those that look after it, and its unique owner.
23:5240 miles up the northeast coast from Newcastle, we find Chillingham Castle.
24:00Owned by Sir Humphrey Wakefield, and maintained by a team of loyal staff.
24:07Well, now I'm going to do the gates.
24:10April till November, the gates open and close every day.
24:1411 o'clock open, and as soon as everybody leaves, five-ish close.
24:18Chris Harbour is one of Chillingham's caretakers.
24:21It's his job to open the castle for business.
24:24This gate broke off last year. It weighs a ton.
24:27Wouldn't want this to fall on you, that's for sure.
24:32And there we are. I'll be ready for an open for business.
24:39But the fact that Chillingham is open for business at all
24:43is nothing short of remarkable.
24:47The original medieval fortress was turned into a country house in the 17th century,
24:52once England and Scotland had formed a United Kingdom.
24:57But in the 1930s, the house was abandoned and left to slowly deteriorate for half a century.
25:06When it was acquired by Sir Humphrey more than 40 years ago,
25:10it was something of a project, to say the least.
25:14Now it is a home once more and a flourishing tourist attraction,
25:20all thanks to its owner.
25:23I love that view there, and looking across at the castle.
25:29Sir Humphrey Wakefield took over Chillingham in 1982.
25:33He spent a decade saving the castle from becoming a ruin,
25:37and now, in his 90th year, has the place running in his own unique way.
25:45Even on hot days, Sir Humphrey likes the ambience of the fire.
25:52And that's done.
25:53And then I carry on with the rest of my jobs.
25:59Alongside Chris, Sir Humphrey's small team includes fellow caretaker Ian Carr.
26:05It's a 19th century clock made by Reid and Sons of Newcastle,
26:09and my job is every day to wind it.
26:14But it's inside the castle's rooms where Chillingham's unique charm becomes apparent.
26:21It is packed full of an eclectic collection of antiques and quirky curiosities.
26:27Does anything caught your eye or everything?
26:31Richard Craig, a long-standing castle steward, has the job of explaining all this to visitors,
26:37and he never tires of it.
26:40Yeah, that dates from the 1760s, French slipper bath.
26:43The previous owner was Mick Jagger.
26:46Everything on display here has been acquired by Sir Humphrey,
26:50who, having left the army, has spent decades working in antiques and enjoying global adventures,
26:57including an expedition to Mount Everest.
27:01The original ladders from sort of camp one, really.
27:05Me going over the icefall.
27:07My boots.
27:08I have no idea how they survived.
27:12Chillingham is like a museum to everything that Sir Humphrey has ever shown an interest in.
27:18And today's challenge for Chris and Ian is displaying a new item in the castle chapel,
27:23an historic crucifix.
27:26So, Humphrey wants this built to put a cross on so that he can look at it,
27:32but he wants me to make a table up.
27:35So, I've made this piece of wood up.
27:38This is just the temporary thing.
27:41Okay.
27:42So, he'll rest that on there.
27:43Well, he's going to have a proper piece of wood made up.
27:45Yeah, yeah.
27:45And then he's got this carpet.
27:47If you lay that on the back there, this cross that he wants to put on here.
27:54This has just come back from the restorers.
27:58Sir Humphrey had this in his apartment for years.
28:01Added more mother of pearl to it.
28:02Yeah, yeah.
28:04Because this is a really early 16th century cross.
28:07But it was actually in a terrible state for a long time.
28:10Oh, right.
28:11I think it doesn't look too bad, actually.
28:13No.
28:13But he wants it on show here so the public can see it,
28:15because there are lots of things that the public doesn't get to see.
28:19But somehow the word lots feels like a staggering understatement.
28:24We're now going into my rather chaotic long gallery.
28:29It's packed up with things which will go on display one day.
28:33I mean, there's so much and such variety here that I don't really know where to begin.
28:40It does buy obscure things.
28:42And you think, where on earth is that going to go?
28:44And then, surprise, surprise, it turns up somewhere.
28:47Yeah.
28:50If I don't know where to put things, I put them here, as it were.
28:53That great sledge, my mamma's side saddle,
28:56wonderful horse harness, man traps,
28:59what else of interest, a great big pot.
29:02These leopards and tigers here are shot by my father or my grandfather.
29:06And for Richard, this ever-evolving collection is a constant journey of discovery.
29:12I came in today and I thought,
29:14ah, I noticed there was a musical instrument that I didn't quite recognise
29:17and another chair that I didn't recognise, and this is only from last week.
29:21So there's often new old things.
29:24Things do get moved around, so it's something else to get your head around,
29:28because doubtless somebody's going to ask about it.
29:31Because sometimes we think things have been stolen, but they haven't.
29:35It's because he's moved them and didn't tell anybody.
29:38One of Chillingham's most renowned and indeed most feared works of art
29:43is said to be of a 17th-century Spanish witch.
29:46And she curses people who steal, and she looks like she's going to curse someone.
29:51The castle even displays signs warning visitors of the witch's powers.
29:56But it appears many of Chillingham's visitors have ignored the warnings and paid a price.
30:03All these letters here, and drawers full of them,
30:07came from people who stare in things.
30:11Just endless letters saying they're sorry they're staring things.
30:15One letter apologises for the theft of a button that dropped out of a drawer,
30:20which seemed to result in a 20-year-old dog dying just two days later.
30:27Coincidence or curse? Or maybe just a very old dog?
30:33I get 25 less a year saying my mortgage has gone wrong or whatever,
30:39and constantly since I took whatever it is, but I sent back this.
30:43So, please, can you tell the Spanish witch to give me a break?
30:53Thankfully, many items from Sir Humphrey's collection
30:57are less appealing to the light-fingered.
30:59In comes man, steal your car, but he can't because he's caught.
31:05Do you want me to clean that day?
31:07Right, no, Amanda, no.
31:09Amanda Crossman has been Chillingham's cleaner
31:12and restorer of all metal artefacts for the past 11 years,
31:16and her work involves a never-ending conveyor belt of new items.
31:21Oh, every time he goes away and comes back, there's more stuff follows.
31:30This is one of the ceremonial Chinese bits of armament.
31:35I don't actually know what it is, probably for stabbing someone.
31:38But, yeah, it's rather rusty, so I better clean it.
31:45The advert, it came out on April Fool's Day, which appealed to my sense of humour,
31:50and it was for an armour cleaner.
31:53I thought, yeah, I can do that.
31:56The only skill I had was cleaning mother-in-law's brasses in the pub,
32:01so that was... that came in very handy.
32:04And the technique for cleaning centuries-old armour is surprisingly simple.
32:10You've got the steel wool, the thinnest that you can get so it doesn't hack at the metals,
32:15and you put loads of beeswax this time.
32:18You just basically just rub it.
32:19You just rub until you get all the rust off.
32:24The last time I did this was several years ago, so...
32:26He doesn't mind, like, a proper patina occurring, like,
32:31because he's sort of ageing the suit of armour here.
32:34He said he'd rather have it fitting in more with the medieval castle here,
32:37which was good for me, because I didn't have to scrub so much.
32:42It's a fascinating place to work.
32:45Everything in this place has a story.
32:48You just learn something new every day.
32:51You can see where there's a nice bald patch, free from rust,
32:55where a hand must have gone.
32:57There's, like, a thumb there.
32:58Sort of fits.
33:00A hand.
33:02Great. Next one.
33:11More than 40 years after Sir Humphrey arrived here,
33:14Chillingham is a country house reborn.
33:18It has turned its own eccentric charms into its greatest selling point.
33:24Ghosts, Chillingham.
33:26We have many.
33:29Complete with gardens, ghosts and treasures galore,
33:33Chillingham feels well set for the future.
33:37I suppose my thing in life is beautiful things and beautiful buildings.
33:45Each detail of this house, I fall in love with.
33:51It's like a jigsaw puzzle, which is clipped into place.
33:55I've had my chapter, and I still love my chapter.
34:01Maybe in a month's time, some collapse will happen,
34:04but just at this moment in time, it's a damn good moment.
34:23It seems to me that an owner with real enthusiasm and determination
34:29may be the most important factor in seeing a country house succeed in the 21st century.
34:36Mapperton's tapestries could have been left to deteriorate.
34:40Chillingham Castle could so easily have become a ruin.
34:43And at Ashby Manor House, it feels like Nova Guest is determined to protect and promote
34:49all that's best about her own wonderful home.
34:52From its Edwardian landscaping to the Tudor gatehouse,
34:57where planning of the gunpowder plot once took place.
35:04It's now a week into Nova's project to honour the landscape design of Edwardian architect Edwin Lutyens.
35:13Finn Toner and his team have removed ash trees, shrubs and brambles
35:18in order to open up the parkland and re-establish views down to Ashby's Lake.
35:24So the guys are still here. I knew it would take longer than Finn said, but that's kind of fine.
35:31But golly, you know, what a difference it's made.
35:34We can certainly say this is stage one complete.
35:39Returning it to parkland means that you can now see all these beautiful trees.
35:43And I think for all the weddings and events, it's just going to lift the filming and photographing experience.
35:50And then he's done a great job here.
35:51And he's just, as you can see, levelling this off.
35:54And we're having the stumps ground down tomorrow.
35:57But do you want to come and have a closer look at the water?
36:00Come down.
36:02Along the lakeside, Finn has removed large amounts of rushes and wreaths to reconnect the park with the water.
36:10Before, you didn't realise until you got closer just what an enormous body of water this is.
36:16And now that we've opened up this whole stretch, it means you can actually appreciate that it goes all the
36:21way behind.
36:24And we've got a few of those last wreaths to take out.
36:27The work at the lake has also revealed one lost treasure.
36:31Yeah, look.
36:32The Lady of the Lake statue was here at Ashby, perhaps 150 years before Lutyens arrived.
36:39But she's barely been glimpsed for decades.
36:44She too now enjoys a view across the parkland.
36:49Standing here and looking back up, you can actually see the house from this, on this diagonal,
36:55which I've never seen before, because that was always enormous shrubs there.
37:01This is true to the house's roots.
37:06Lutyens would be proud.
37:08The parkland isn't Nova's only major project to conclude this summer.
37:16She has also been wrestling with the restoration of Ashby's Tudor Gatehouse.
37:22With new lime plaster panels, this small but important part of the estate should now be
37:28weatherproof for decades to come.
37:31And after a thorough clean, the room where the planners of the gunpowder plot once met
37:37is almost ready to be opened for visitors.
37:41The final piece of the puzzle is to try and recreate this important moment in history
37:47with some suitable set dressing.
37:49I'm imagining if they had all those plotters in there at one stage,
37:53and they were sort of looking at maybe maps of the Houses of Parliament,
37:56they may have needed a table.
37:57And then what kind of seating?
37:59That would have been very simple stools?
38:01Or if it was a chair, what would have been a chair
38:06that could have been the kind of chair they sat on?
38:09When it comes to interiors, Nova is in her element.
38:13But reimagining a scene from the early 17th century is not her speciality.
38:19So, she's on her way to the town of Toaster to get the advice of Chris Green.
38:26Hello.
38:27Nova.
38:27How are you?
38:28Very good, how are you?
38:29Chris is part of the third generation to run this very specialist family business.
38:35I know you're a bit worried about what you might have, but if we're thinking about 16th century.
38:41Difficult.
38:44So, why is 16th century furniture so difficult to find?
38:48Like, there's not much around.
38:51To be quite honest, most of it just didn't last, it didn't stay a course of time.
38:54Yeah.
38:55Because most of it was softwood.
38:57A lot of it was softwood and it was in very damp houses and it got used, really, basically.
39:04Yes.
39:04It got heavy use and a lot of it just didn't survive.
39:07And what kind of furniture would have been in the plot room?
39:09Not very fine furniture?
39:12Not very fine furniture and quite basic.
39:15Yes.
39:15Perhaps a small dining table and, you know, a chair up the corner and pretty basic, really.
39:23Chris's store is an absolute treasure trove of furniture, ranging from 100 to 400 years old,
39:30with just a few items dating back even further.
39:34This is certainly 16th century.
39:37Gosh, look at it.
39:38It's got a great big hole in it.
39:41Is that wood worm?
39:42Yeah, that's a bit of worm and probably the old rodent got in there, I think.
39:46It's good solid timber, but even that, you know, it's obviously a show sign of wear, you know.
39:53It's big enough for a person to hide in there.
39:55Or get buried in.
40:02It's a 1750 age.
40:05A bit earlier than that.
40:06Yeah, first quarter of the 18th century, 1720.
40:10So it comes to the all-important table.
40:12Whilst the date might not be spot on, the size is the perfect fit.
40:17That's going to be six foot plus, isn't it, that one, I should think.
40:21I mean, that's a really good size.
40:23You'd get eight round that, wouldn't you?
40:25Yeah.
40:25With the table arranged, it's time to see what else could help recreate the historical magic.
40:33These were typically for the end of the bed, to put your bed linen in.
40:39So you think this is 17th century?
40:41That's quite an interesting little size for the plot room.
40:44We were thinking, Chris, we have to keep in mind what we can actually get up the stairs.
40:48It's a narrow staircase.
40:49It's a narrow staircase.
40:52This sort of chair here, they probably would have stuck.
40:56It's such a lovely chair.
40:56Yeah, it's an early chair.
40:57Oh my gosh, that's so nice.
40:59It may not have been two grand for the room you're talking about.
41:01These are early candlesticks they would have walked around with.
41:05Drip trays there so that you don't get...
41:07So you don't burn your hands on the wax.
41:10These are probably even earlier.
41:11Oh, look at these.
41:17Oh my gosh, aren't they amazing.
41:18Yeah, so as your candle...
41:20Look at the wooden base.
41:22And as your candle burns down this, you just turn this and that goes up like that.
41:26I've never seen anything like that.
41:28Very clever.
41:28So you've got to look up there to walk around with.
41:30So what age is this?
41:3217th century.
41:34That's incredible.
41:35They're lovely, lovely little things.
41:36Where do you find these things?
41:38Yeah, that's your secrets.
41:40That's amazing.
41:41Yeah, lovely thing.
41:43Yeah, so they probably would have been absolutely ideal for your room, I should think.
41:48I can see straight away how you can create so much feeling in a room,
41:53especially that room if you've walked in and it had some appropriate things in.
41:58It brings it to life.
41:59But having assessed Chris's stock, Nova is keen to understand the price tags.
42:05So this coffer here could be 550 pounds.
42:09That's a friendly price to you, Nova.
42:11Okay.
42:12Early sticks, 350 pounds.
42:15Good.
42:17And then what about our table?
42:21The big table downstairs, the big gate there could be 1750 pounds.
42:241750.
42:25Okay.
42:26On the chair.
42:29I mean these I'm definitely going to get.
42:33Yeah.
42:34Yeah.
42:34They're lovely.
42:35Yeah, they are lovely.
42:36I thought if I found one thing it would be a bonus.
42:39I really didn't think there would be really suitable things because of the age we're looking at.
42:45So I mean to find those candlesticks, amazing.
42:48I mean they're beautiful and to find a table of that scale and it's very close to the right era.
42:56So I think that is ticking a box.
43:02A week later the antiques are on their way to Ashby and the gatehouse project is set to be completed.
43:13So here we are and we've been on quite a journey with our plot room.
43:17It's an exciting morning and we've got Chris's brother Nick Green arriving from Ron Green Antiques
43:22today and he's got that wonderful gate leg table that we looked at.
43:27Yeah, okay.
43:28It's not um, right.
43:31I mean I'm hoping it can get up the staircase.
43:33I don't quite know.
43:35I'm thinking it will because the sides go down.
43:37So we're going to carry that up.
43:39Quite heavy Nova.
43:43So we're hoping to bring the room to life.
43:49And start to get a sense of how I envisage the plot room to be for when we have school
43:55groups.
43:56Right.
43:59It's going to be fun to see if it pounds out as I had in my mind.
44:04So I picked some rosemary and sage, kind of to ward off bad spirits but also because it smells lovely.
44:12What else have I brought?
44:15I thought they might have um, they would have definitely had some apple trees.
44:20Without a doubt.
44:21So I'm sure maybe they were eating apples.
44:23I've got some inappropriate Victorian chairs.
44:26We'll have to find something a bit earlier at some stage.
44:30Light the fire.
44:31We're going to light the fire.
44:34Is it going to draw?
44:37It was such an incredible moment lighting the fire, getting the table up there,
44:41sort of pulling in those four chairs.
44:46Yeah, completely thrilling actually.
44:49I adored it.
44:50I adored it.
44:51I adore the room.
44:53Fireworks.
44:54Probably should have had a fire gun.
44:55Fireworks all ready.
44:58But at least we can start to think about them sort of being on some kind of stool or seat.
45:03They would have had to sit down to have long discussions into the night about what they were doing.
45:07Mm-hmm.
45:08It's great to see this.
45:09Yeah.
45:10Very exciting.
45:12Oh, the candlesticks!
45:14Ah!
45:15I went to light the candlesticks.
45:18It's a fabulous room and has the weight of history.
45:22It means, you know, being able to sit down in there and sort of, you know, you can take it
45:26in for a bit longer.
45:29It's better than I imagined.
45:31And now I can proudly show people the plot room.
45:35I'm so excited actually.
45:41Next time on Saving Country Houses.
45:46At the end of a long, dry summer, it's wind and rain that threatens the Mapperton Plant Fair.
45:53It's the calm before the storm.
45:55We've looked at every single weather model.
45:57There's going to be 80 mile an hour winds.
45:58There's going to be pouring rain.
46:00There's furniture in every room.
46:02Emma Loseley-Williams faces the prospect of moving into our Cotswold Manor.
46:08Every drawer is full.
46:10I think we're going to need a really, really, really big skip.
46:14And a heritage archaeologist is called into Whitmore to give his verdict on the state of the house.
46:21You call it average, good, poor.
46:25Mark's out of 10 for current condition.
46:28I think it would probably be around six.
46:31Have a great day.
46:44You can do it.
46:59I think it would probably be around six years later.
47:00You
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