Celebration to mark completion of restoration project at country house in Northamptonshire

The double-height Great Hall had been suffering from flaking paint for a number of years and the Kelmarsh Trust was very keen to conserve the current paint scheme as it is attributed to renowned decorator John Fowler and Nancy Lancaster, the doyenne of the English Country House style, who lived at the hall.

Last November, paint specialists Crick-Smith of Lincoln were appointed and conservators set about injecting powerful water-based bonding agents behind the flaking paint and then carefully ironing flat the flakes.

Areas of loss were filled and touched in to match the existing and 60 years of smoke and dirt was cleaned off using conservation techniques.

The project, which cost about £115,000, is the latest conservation programme to be carried out by the Kelmarsh Trust, which was set up to protect and conserve the Grade I listed country house and its surrounding gardens and parkland.

Kelmarsh Hall is a historically significant building that was built in the Palladian style in 1732 by Francis Smith of Warwick to a design by James Gibbs, an eminent architect who trained in Rome.

Kelmarsh Hall and its gardens opened for the 2016 season on Easter Sunday and invited guests attended a celebration event following the conservation of the Great Hall on Sunday.

Guests were given an introduction by Des Brack, Kelmarsh Trust’s conservation buildings manager, before enjoying light refreshments.

For more information about opening times and ticket prices to visit Kelmarsh Hall, go to www.kelmarsh.com.