Historic Interiors Group Visit to Tyntesfield, Somerset
The Entrance to Tyntesfield House
The Historic Interiors section visit to Tyntesfield on the 5th of July this summer proved to be a great hit. The outing was well subscribed to with almost forty individuals attending, a surprising number considering that it was the first such visit undertaken by the section.
After a recent high profile campaign, the most successful instigated by the National Trust to date, Tyntesfield was saved for the nation. Located to the south of Bristol, Tyntesfield is a Victorian country estate, remarkable for the level of survival of its interiors and contents. In many ways it is a time capsule, encompassing the culture and routine of country house life in the nineteenth century. But it is not only for its architecture, interior decoration and fittings that Tyntesfield holds interest. Externally, the estate buildings have been retained in their entirety, representing a rare example of all the buildings - such as the stables, home farm, etc. - which made up the working of an estate at this time. This unity and high level of retention was made possible to a large extent by the Gibbs family who resided at the property over four generations. A fortune made from the shipment of solidified bird droppings, or guano, from South America allowed William Gibbs to purchased Tyntesfield in 1843. However, it was not until twenty years later that William employed the architect John Norton to transform the house into the building which can be seen now.
The UKIC members were met by Mary Greenacre, Historic Properties Co-ordinator, for Tyntesfield and the Property Manager, Ruth Gofton, outside Tyntesfield and given an informal introduction. Two groups were then formed and with the aid of volunteer guides, we were taken on an extremely interesting tour around the interior of the property and the attached chapel. A walk around the exterior elevations was made possible towards the end of the tour.
The National Trust intends to use the conservation of Tyntesfield as a means of promoting links with the community and as an education tool for the general public and students of conservation. The philosophy for the presentation of the property is still evolving as the Trust hopes to live with the building for a time before deciding the best way forward. Conservation surveys of the contents and historic interiors are currently being undertaken to determine the level of conservation appropriate for their presentation whilst still ensuring the stability of the objects. The Trust is keen to hear the views of the many different interested parties and to this end the opinions of the UKIC members were sought on how they would like to see conservation and display policy directed.
In this manner, not only was the visit a visually stimulating experience for those who attended, but individual members were able to contribute to the discussion of various aspects of the decoration, such as the textiles and wallpaper. It is greatly hoped that this collaborative approach can continue to be fostered so that all those with expertise may be able to assist in the conservation of this unique architectural asset.
Following the tour, attendees returned to Bush & Berry Conservation Studios for tea. This gave members an opportunity to see how this chapel has been recently converted for use as a conservation studio for large easel paintings as well as view a number of current projects.
Wallpaper in the Dining Room
Decay and splendour in one of the many bedrooms