The hidden stories of working people are to be brought to life, following the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) award of £999,500 to the Real Lives Project at Ickworth House.

Focusing on former servants at Ickworth, Real Lives will tell the true story of the everyday ‘upstairs-downstairs’ domestic life of a working country house and estate. Real Lives is a community based research, learning and training project.

The result will be an innovative and engaging presentation of the kitchens and domestic areas in the basement of the Rotunda. It will take in intriguing topics such as the domestic technology of this grand country house and has resonances with contemporary sustainability issues.

Many people who once worked in the House and on the Ickworth Estate still live nearby. A newly appointed Real Lives Project Officer will work with local volunteers to collect former workers’ personal memories and reminiscences. It is hoped that this will act as a catalyst for people to share their memories of the house and estate, including those from evacuees who were billeted in Ickworth House during the Second World War.

Visitors to Ickworth’s Real Lives project will be taken back to the Edwardian period. This new visitor experience will be housed in the old service quarters which lie undisturbed beneath Ickworth House’s iconic Rotunda. Numerous examples of Edwardian technology survive in this network of rooms, including cooking ranges, luggage lifts, hoists, communication bells and examples of rainwater collection and filtration systems.

Kate Carver, The National Trust’s Property Manager of Ickworth House, Park and Gardens said:
'It is fantastic that the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded us this funding. We are all very excited about Real Lives. By involving the local community in the research, learning and training elements of the project, we have a unique opportunity to make sure the final product reflects their passions and the stories from their communities as well as giving Ickworth’s visitors an insight into how life was for ordinary people in the heyday of the House and wider estate. By capturing the memories of real people, their real lives, we can demonstrate the importance of the connection between Ickworth and the community.'

Robyn Llewellyn, Head of HLF East of England, said:
'This award illustrates our commitment to supporting projects that celebrate the heritage of Suffolk. Through innovative investment we are giving local communities an opportunity to take an active role in identifying and preserving their heritage. This project will celebrate the lives of real people that make our heritage so rich and enjoyable for everyone.'