Project

Restoring the Green Parlour

The Green Parlour mid-restoration in summer 2024 | © National Trust Images/Laurence Perry

Discover the recent work undertaken to restore the Green Parlour at Lamb House.

Looking after Lamb House

Following surveys taken a few years ago, numerous repairs required to the joinery, decorations, garden walls, and outside toilet were identified.

Recently completed works include consolidating isolated sections of the garden wall including local repair of brickwork and repointing.

In 2023, an area of damp plaster to the Green Parlour's wall was stripped after it was found to contain significant amounts of cement. Following a period of drying over the past year, the section of wall was replastered using a more suitable lime mix.

Following repairs to the leadwork abutting the garden wall, improvements were made to the presentation of the outside toilet. This work includes repairs to the panelled timber ceiling and plasterwork to the walling prior to redecoration.

The gardener’s bothy also underwent some light repairs with timber repairs to the windows being carried out by our Specialist Craft Team.

Maintaining Lamb House requires ongoing commitment from our dedicated staff and funds to facilitate the upkeep of this wonderful property.

Queen Camilla browsing first editions in the Green Parlour, with Senior Collections Officer Susannah Mayor (left), and National Trust Chair René Olivieri | © National Trust Images/Megan Taylor

A Royal visit to the Green Parlour

Queen Camilla visited us in May 2024 to see the surroundings that inspired the popular Mapp and Lucia book series, written by our former resident E.F. Benson.

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Lamb House in Hidden Treasures of the National Trust

Recent conservation work carried out on Henry James' Secretaire, located in the Green Parlour, will be featured in series three of the BBC's Hidden Treasures of the National Trust.

The show goes behind the scenes to hear from the experts who look after treasured objects, including the Secretaire in episode one. Find out more about the series and how to watch here.

Collection and House Manager Kirsty Mitchell and the Secretaire at Lamb House | © Blast Films

Henry James' Secretaire

The secretaire was used by James for responding to his personal correspondances and editing all the books he wrote at Lamb House, including his revised 24 volume edition of The New York Editions. However, he wasn't the only resident author at Lamb House to use it.

Author and Rye mayor E.F. Benson made use of it when he wrote in the Green Parlour, often after dinner between 10pm and midnight.

When Montgomery Hyde lived at Lamb House, he wrote all his books at the secretaire, including the Lamb House guidebook.

Most recently, Rumer Godden often wrote at the secretaire, writing longhand in exercise books and editing by cutting and sellotaping pages together before getting her secretary to type them out.

Conservation work

In late 2024, Henry James' secretaire returned to Lamb House after a length period of conservation.

The secretaire had suffered losses to veneers and detached moulding to the side of the carcass, as well as patches that had discoloured.

Losses to the drawer surrounds and pigeon hole frame were patched, including the ebony and satinwood edging. The brass lines to the pigeon hole drawers were also lifted and reglued where loose.

While the secretaire had previously been restored, the polish applied eventually faded, creating a bloomed and slightly murky surface. The old patches had most likely been stained with spirit stain which had turned black.

The old patches were washed back, which took the veneers back to bright red, while new patches and the old repairs were bleached to change the colour to something closer to a straw tone.

Bleached areas and areas cleaned back were then coloured using watercolours and pigments in shellac to create the milky surface.

All internal surfaces were cleaned and drawer runners waxed to improve action. Some areas showed historic furniture beetle activity, these were treated with Constrain.