Skip to content

See The Conservation Studio on BBC Two’s Hidden Treasures of the National Trust

Conservation work on Beatrix Potter's dolls' house being filmed for the Hidden Treasures of the National Trust Series 3
Conservation work on Beatrix Potter's dolls' house being filmed for the Hidden Treasures of the National Trust at The Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio, Knole, Kent | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

The Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio features prominently throughout the BBC's Hidden Treasures of the National Trust series. The show goes behind the scenes to hear from the experts who look after treasured objects, including many that have recently been conserved here at the studio.

See conservation on screen and in real life

Watch the new series starting 16 May at 9pm on BBC Two and available on BBC iPlayer to see important pieces conserved right here at the studio and learn more about their history and the people and places where they're now displayed.

The studio is open to the public 11:00am to 4:00pm Wednesday to Saturday. Visitors see and learn about real items from National Trust collections across the UK are conserved by our experts and find out about the techniques used to keep pieces we care for in the best possible condition.

Find out more about our opening hours

An image of a TV camera operator filming a person while they carry out conservation work during the production of BBC 2’s Hidden Treasures of the National Trust Series 3
A conservator being filmed for BBC 2’s Hidden Treasures of the National Trust Series 3 | © ©National Trust Images/James Dobson

Projects included in Hidden Treasures series 3

Hill Top, Lake District

Collaborative Conservation of Beatrix Potter’s Dolls’ House

Beatrix Potter’s dolls’ house contains tiny items that feature in some of her illustrated books. It was conserved in the studio in preparation for a new and exciting exhibition themed around her book, ‘The Tale of Two Bad Mice.’ Just like any other house, it takes a team to look after it, and between November 2024 to January 2025 over 300 hours were spent cleaning and repairing this house in miniature, items conserved included sofas, chandeliers, cutlery, plates of food and carpets. Conservators specialising in furniture, objects, paper and textiles, collaborated to deliver the care required to make it ready for exhibition. The dolls’ house is now on display at Hill Top.

A conservator being filmed by a camera operator while cleaning the inside of Beatrix Potter's dolls house
A conservator being filmed by a camera operator while cleaning the inside of Beatrix Potter's dolls house | © ©National Trust Images/James Dobson
Conservation cleaning of THE OPENING OF WATERLOO BRIDGE, 18 JUNE 1817 by John Constable, from Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire.

Donate

Everyone needs nature, now more than ever. Donate today and you could help people and nature to thrive at the places we care for.

You might also be interested in

Conservator cleaning portrait painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds using a cotton swab
Article
Article

What to see at Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio 

Discover what you can see and do at the unique Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio, plus more about the distinctive building.

Conservators working on collection items at The Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio at Knole, Kent
Article
Article

The history of the Knole Barn 

Discover the history of this centuries-old building up to the present day, including the damaging fire of 1887 and its rebirth as the Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio.