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Montacute House: Saving the Staircases

A stone mansion with the sun beginning to set behind it and light catching in the large windows
The west front of Montacute House, South Somerset | © National Trust Images/John Miller

‘Saving the Staircases’ is an essential project to address the urgent need to repair, conserve, strengthen, and protect the two staircases at Montacute House for the future.

Completed in 1601, Montacute House is a daring example of Elizabethan Renaissance architecture and design. The two arterial staircases at each end are vital to the architectural nature of the house, both in practical and structural terms.

The challenge

Until recently, visitors could pass through the same rooms used by the Phelips family in the early 17th century. The hundreds of years of footfall has taken its toll on the Hamstone, which the staircases are made from. This stone, quarried less than two miles away from the house, holds the stories of those who have walked on it but is vulnerable due to its’ soft and porous nature.

The treads and landings of the stairs are made from large pieces of expertly cut Hamstone and are built into the walls. Some of the treads are single pieces of stone at least 1.5m in length, others are made from two pieces of stone connected via toggle joints. The flights of steps are separated by landings that balance on the treads through joggle joints.

For at least one hundred years attempts have been made to support the staircases. However, wear has caused loss of stone in the treads and, significantly, in the toggle and joggle joints. This led to the South stairs being closed to visitors in 2018, followed by the North stairs in 2023.

The solution 

We have worked alongside many experts, including Historic England, to develop a long-term solution for the staircases; to make them safe and protect the stone for future use.

This solution is twofold. First, approximately 10% of each staircase will be supported on the underside with chamfered steel beams.  

Second, to protect the soft stone treads and landings, the National Trust Specialist Craft team will make and install covers for each one. Every covering protection will be bespoke, as the 22 landings and 104 treads are all different. They will partly be made from oak from National Trust estates, felled during woodland management.

Blacksmiths are creating a unique fitting that will fix the protections to the treads and landings. The fittings are designed to prevent any further loss of stone during installation by using holes that already exist in the stone.

The covers will not encase stairs, with the stone upright of each tread still visible. The stairs will look and sound different in the future though, but this solution allows the stories of their past to be preserved.

Frequently asked questions

Project updates

Aug 2023

Closure of the staircases

A project has been in the pipeline since 2018, when the South stairs was closed, to address the fact that both staircases have deteriorated due to hundreds of years of wear and tear. It was paused due to the Covid pandemic.

As a result of the closure of the South stairs, the additional two-way footfall on the North stairs was having a cumulative impact. Therefore, it was advised that access to these stairs is closely controlled.

National Trust conservation staff and agreed third parties continue to access the first and second floors, when necessary, whilst adhering to the strict guidance that has been issued.

The conservation team have been spending time ‘putting the upper floors to bed’. This involves deep cleaning the historic interiors from top to bottom and then checking and cleaning the furniture and furnishings.  Once this is done, the objects are covered up to protect them from dust accumulation and exposure to light.

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