The Curtain Rises project at Seaton Delaval Hall

The Central Hall is currently closed to visitors during September and into October to allow our contractors to carry out further work in The Curtain Rises project funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. On the ground floor of the hall the first phase of this latest work has been to fit protective coverings to the historic floor surfaces and wall features and sculptures in preparation for the installation of internal scaffold. To allow us to use the full height of the entrance hall and saloon for future displays, installations and interpretation, hanging point brackets will be fitted into some of the joist pockets, (these pockets originally held floor beams but have been exposed since the loss of the upper floors to fire in the 19th century) which have been carefully selected to avoid any spaces that our bats like to use for roosting and hibernation. In the basement, the installation of new lighting and flooring is well underway, which will transform the spaces and allow visitors to better appreciate the beautiful architecture of the lower level of the Hall. Ducts are currently being fitted to carry cabling into the rooms to provide atmospheric lighting, levels are being set, and the new stone paving has been selected to match the colours of existing masonry and will provide a much-improved floor surface.

Project work continued throughout lockdown, with a much-reduced team working on site. Progress slowed as we worked through the requirements for keeping everyone safe and the team focused on outdoor areas where we could ensure that Government guidance was followed during this period. As a result, some of the outdoor areas are now unrecognisable! The South East gardens have been planted up and look colourful, lush and full of interest now. We’re just waiting on an exciting new Mirror Cube to finish off this area, so watch this space! A new welcome area and entrance has been created. The new entrance path meets the Lost Wing Path and there is a choice as to whether to continue to either the South East Gardens, the formal gardens or the new Brewhouse Café. Our new rolled gravel paths, which extend across the site, will make a huge difference to everyone getting around. In the East Wing area we completed the work in the Stables. Six of the stall dividers which were in danger of collapse were dismantled and then rebuilt. We also re-roofed the East Wing Carriage house, which will soon be home to our new visitor toilets. We have also removed the ‘temporary’ buildings which included the old toilets, don’t worry though we do have new facilities in the Brewhouse Café. The final area to receive a makeover lately is the external space around the new café. The area has been planted up, flagstones and rolled gravel have been laid and new estate railings have been installed. Indoors, finishing works to the new Brewhouse Café have been completed ready for when we are able to welcome visitors into this new space. Our contractors, Historic Property Restoration, and the essential tasks property team have worked wonders in these challenging and uncertain times.

The East Wing Stable stall dividers are really fascinating. They're elegant structures built using large stones but with timber end posts, which have been cunningly disguised as stone. Some of them require attention as the stones are ‘threaded’ onto vertical iron stays which over time have degraded and rusted, causing expansion and contraction that then fractures the stone. Work has begun to dismantle the dividers in turn, and we will be saving the masonry we can and rebuilding the dividers, having recorded them fully.