Behind the scenes during the winter at Nuffield Place

Close up of people cleaning some books — Book cleaning at Nuffield Place

And that’s a wrap! Our doors are now closed for winter, and it’s time to give the house the care and attention it needs after having thousands of visitors these last few months. During the closure, staff and volunteers are very busy with lots of projects to conserve the house and its collection, and here are just some of them.

What’s going on in the house?

Deep Clean

Volunteers and staff thoroughly clean the house from top to bottom, to every last cupboard and drawer. Furniture is then covered in acid-free tissue covers, which are fitted to each individual piece so that everything is dust free come February.

Conservation in Action

This year we have two new conservation assistants, Joe and Cat, who will be working to look after the house and its collection. Objects and their condition are checked on the inventory, with textiles such as napkins, tablecloths and blankets looked over as well. The inventory allows us to see how the conditions of objects develop, so we can work towards a better plan of action.

Lady Nuffield's Wolseley Eight

To protect Lady Nuffield’s car from the cold and the damp, we put an inflatable dome, called a ‘carcoon’, around the Wolseley Eight, where she will hibernate for the winter. We will wake her up just before we reopen in February, to make sure she's looking great to welcome you back.

The Wolseley Eight car on display at Nuffield Place — Nuffield Place's Wolseley Eight

What happens in the gardens?

During the winter months vital preparation work goes in the gardens to ensure they are looking their best come spring.

Our dedicated team of garden volunteers continue their work throughout the winter, to get the garden ready for spring. This winter they will be working to get the tennis court lawn back to its original condition.

The winter months are a time when the garden team allow grass in heavily-walked areas to recover and ensure all leaves are removed from the lawns to help the grass grow beautifully, ready for spring.