Ickworth has thousands of visitors every year, however, there is still so much more we can learn and stories we can tell.
Bringing Ickworth to life
The basement of the Rotunda will be opened to visitors for the first time, re-presented as it was in its heyday. These old service quarters are a network of rooms, which currently lie undisturbed beneath Ickworth’s iconic Rotunda. Numerous examples of Edwardian technology survive here, including cooking ranges, luggage lifts, hoists, communication bells and examples of rainwater collection with filtration systems.
A project for the whole community
Working together with the help of volunteers, schools and local community groups, the memories of former workers will be captured; many of whom still live in the local area. From these memories we can find out more about everyday ‘upstairs/downstairs’ domestic life at Ickworth, which will be brought to life through interpretation and oral history.
Educating the next generation
In addition to improving the visitor experience, this project will also enable the learning team at Ickworth to develop and diversify the educational activities they offer. Thus, enabling more schools and colleges to get involved and learn about life in the early 1900s on a working country estate.
'This is an exciting new project. A catalyst for telling the story of Ickworth, links to the community and the role that it played. It will enable us to capture the memories of former servants, before it's too late and they're lost forever.'
Lisa Smith, Fundraising Manager
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