Our conservation work in the house

A woman using a swab to clean a portrait of an 18th century woman — Conserving Romney's portrait of Frances Woodley posed a fascinating challenge | © National Trust/Valentina Risdonne

Our expert team is dedicated to protecting Kingston Lacy and its natural surroundings for the benefit of future generations. This article explores the conservation work in the mansion house; check out our other articles on the vital conservation work on the wider estate.

George Romney's portrait of Frances Woodley

One of Kingston Lacy’s most important portraits posed a fascinating conservation challenge for the National Trust’s Royal Oak Conservation Studio in Knole, Kent.

George Romney’s portrait of Frances Woodley was painted in 1780-81, three years before she married Henry Bankes the Younger. She was considered one of the great beauties of her day, and it shows her as an elegant, fashionable young woman.

The conservation work

The project was originally intended to be a straightforward clean to remove the discoloured varnish and surface dirt. Over time, the varnish had yellowed, dulling Romney’s vibrant colours and obscuring the freshness of his brushwork. However, close examination revealed that the surface was far more complex than expected.

The background paint showed the paint had cracked and separated into small islands, a problem usually caused when different paint layers dry at different speeds. Additionally the varnish above the paint had not only yellowed, but also contained pigment particles. Technical analysis suggested that the pigmented coating could either be original to the painting or an early restoration intended to disguise the broken-up surface.

The conservation problem

This created a challenging conservation dilemma. Cleaning the varnish would improve the appearance of the painting but would also remove the pigmented coating, making the cracking much more visible and requiring extensive retouching. Not cleaning the varnish, however, would leave the crisp white dress looking yellow and the blue sky a dull green.

So a tailored treatment approach was developed. The figure and sky were fully cleaned, while the pigmented coating in the trees was reduced rather than completely removed. This approach brought back the brilliance of the colours and Romney’s rapid and energetic brushwork, while preserving the visual unity of the landscape.

What else did the research discover?

Technical imaging also gave insights into Romney’s creative process, showing that he constantly revised his composition directly on the canvas with rapid, energetic brushwork. Macro x-ray fluorescence mapping disclosed that he originally painted several additional tree branches before changing his mind and painting them out. The imaging also revealed brushstrokes of hair and flesh colours beneath the sky around Frances’s head, marks which likely relate to Romney cleaning his brush or testing his colours.

Following conservation, the portrait once again displays the beauty of Romney’s colours and brushwork, while research has uncovered new evidence about both the artist’s technique and the painting’s material history.

A grand stone mansion set in formal gardens — The cupola is a distinctive feature at Kingston Lacy | © National Trust Images/Rupert Truman

Conserving Kingston Lacy's cupola

Kingston Lacy's cupola is an iconic feature but its construction has caused a lot of problems over the years.

The cupola was added in 1835, designed by architect Charles Barry to be thinner and taller than the previous one and act simply as an impressive lantern to light the attic below. It was also glazed inside out, probably in order to look more attractive to guests being taken on a tour of the roof.

That glazing, which makes it easy for moisture to sit in the window frames, means the cupola needs regular maintenance. But the shape means access is very difficult, so we commissioned a bespoke scaffolding tower to fit through a 1.8 metre diameter, 10 metre tube. We also made protective boxing for the beautiful plaster mouldings when we are working on the glazing.

Now, conservation staff and volunteers can access the cupola safely to carry out more frequent maintenance.

Eighteenth-century cabinet on a stand, made of wood and inlaid with ivory detail, on display at Kingston Lacy — The cabinet on a stand is elaborately decorated | © National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel

The Visakhapatnam cabinet

This extraordinary 18th century treasure underwent extensive conservation in 2025.

The work involved cleaning to remove more than two centuries of ingrained dirt, correcting previous repairs, replacing missing ivory veneers and stabilising internal mirrors that had loose mercury.

Our conservator, Nicola Shreeve, discovered the cabinet is made from a hard wood called padauk, rather than rosewood as had been previously thought. She was able to establish that one of the drawers was altered in the 19th century to create a fold-out secretaire drawer; and open not only one but two hidden drawers (sadly, neither contained anything exciting!).

Nicola also used modern prosthetics techniques to create a replica 'ivory' claw for one of the cabinet's feet, which is nearly undectable from the remaining claws.

She says: ‘It is the most spectacular piece of furniture I have had the joy of conserving and a wonderful opportunity to understand historic techniques and materials. We’ve identified some curious and highly unusual methods of cabinet making. Intriguing details were revealed through X-ray imaging that could shed new light on the amazing craft skills of the makers of Vizagapatam.’

Find out more about the Visakhapatnam cabinet

A frill stretched out, pinned and weighted down — The hem of the Paquin teagown was gently reshaped | © Textile Conservation Limited

A dress to impress: bringing Henrietta's dress to life

Two 19th century gowns worn by Henrietta Bankes, the mother of Henry John ‘Ralph’ Bankes who gifted the Kingston Lacy estate to the National Trust in 1981, were carefully conserved and mounted so that the fragile textiles could go on display in 2025.

The gowns, which had been stored out of sight for more than a century, are wonderful examples of haute couture and the work of two of the most important 19th century fashion houses: Doucet and Paquin, whose premises were within doors of each other on the fashionable Rue de la Paix in Paris.

The first, a pale green satin evening gown trimmed with chiffon and ribbon, was made to measure by Jacques Doucet in 1896. The second is a cream chiffon, lace-trimmed tea gown with purple ribbons, and was made by the pioneering female couturier, Jeanne Paquin, who opened a store in London in 1896.

The textiles have maintained an astonishing richness of colour but needed protection against further deterioration. Weak areas were reinforced with transparent gauze, and creases and discolouration removed with very gentle steaming.

The work also revealed other details: on the Doucet, remnants of the silk threads that indicate an elaborate decorative trim (now missing); while the Paquin had additional panels to let out the dress to accommodate Henrietta's changing shape.