From the rubble emerged the occasional triumph: the Prince Regent's bed was still intact and was dismantled and passed out through the Tapestry Room's windows just before the remains of the ceiling collapsed, while the Red Drawing Room's Axminster carpet was dug out from under the rubble three days after the fire, and found to be in remarkable condition.
Deciding the future
As more than 12,000 fragments were being painstakingly plucked from the remains, opinions were forming about Uppark's future.
While some lobbied for demolition, others argued for a more modern reinterpretation. But to those working on site, it was clear more had survived than thought possible. With the Trust's insurance geared towards reinstatement, on 5th October 1989 the decision was taken to restore Uppark to its previous state "in so far as that is practicable."
That set in motion a six-year project that saw more than 4,300 architect's instructions and the contributions of more than a thousand skilled craftsmen and women who pieced together countless fragments of carved woodwork, ceiling plaster, glass and metalwork.