The salvage phase at Clandon Park

Suspended from the rafters above the Marble Hall, was the elaborate plaster ceiling attributed to the noted stuccoist Guiseppe Artari. During our salvage work, we’ve discovered thousands of plaster fragments giving us enough to eventually reconstruct those beautiful, ornate ceilings.

A joyous discovery in the aftermath of the fire, the survival of the Rysbrack fireplaces and overmantel reliefs in the Marble Hall has sustained our optimism and helped to inform our vision for the future of the house.

Continuing our series on objects found in the house following the fire, we’re delighted to bring you some more happy news. Found during the salvage of the State Bedroom just before Easter 2016, this little porcelain bunny couldn’t have timed his rescue from the house any better.

China objects are incredibly fragile aren't they? We've found that this isn't always the case. Our tiny stoneware duck, the first object to be found by our archaeologists when salvage began, experienced an extraordinary flight through fire.

Samantha Taylor, our project conservator, explains more about the processing of collection objects taking place at Clandon Park. She describes the effects of extreme temperatures on ceramics, how we keep track of every fragment and the techniques we're using to clean and reinstate items.

The State Bed was one of the most important items in our collection, an iconic object emblematic of the Onslow family and of Clandon Park itself. Our project curator Sophie Chessum discusses this incredible survival story and charts our journey to rescue the bed from the house.

Stored under the State Bed were several collection boxes. One contained the only needlework to have survived the fire, protected by a sodden horse hair mattress. Find out how it endured a trial by fire and water and see our Project Conservator Samantha Taylor peel back its protective cover for the first time.

Since rescuing the State Bed at Clandon, we've been letting individual elements naturally air dry. Now we've been able to begin the delicate cleaning process on these grandly embellished textiles.

Our project at Clandon regularly requires innovative solutions to interesting challenges. Discover how we’re using rope access operatives to help us continue our progress in clearing the house.

Following the fire at Clandon and our initial salvage work we were presented with a rare opportunity to solve a historical mystery. Using dendrochronology and the beams that once formed the skeleton of the house we’ve made some interesting discoveries.

The archaeologists working at Clandon have undertaken a huge task in clearing the house of debris and discovering priceless treasures hidden in the ash. Cat Edwards from AOC Archaeology Group tells us about her team’s extraordinary work.

A massive free-standing scaffold structure has been built to completely surround Clandon Park, cocooning the building to keep it safe from the Great British weather and allowing us to continue important work on the house.

Have you noticed a change in the skyline above Clandon Park recently? Find out about the addition of the two large cranes to our site. Discover the work that they're doing and get a glimpse of day-to-day life on site from our project Building Surveyor Nathan Buckell.