Nov 2021 - June 2023
Replacing the heating system in the house
Work is currently taking place to refurbish the Victorian heating system, throughout the house, offices and outbuildings.
This work will see a new intelligent, conservation-focused heating system installed, along with the refurbishment of the Victorian raditors, with additional replica radiators being added in many spaces to help better control the temperature and humidity in each room.
The house was closed or much of the collection was packed away in 2022 to allow these works to take place.
All five ground floor showrooms of the house have now reopened from 10.30am - 2.30pm each day by timed ticket, as work has been largely completed in these spaces.
In 2023, the conservation work has now moved into the upper levels of the house, attics and outbuildings, so you may still hear some noise or see some of the collection being moved when you visit. The two upstairs rooms of the house remain closed while this work takes place. Once the work has been completed these rooms will remain closed for a time wile we assess how these rooms can be more easily accessed and enjoyed by our visitors.
Why this work is needed
The current heating system can’t regulate the temperature effectively to control the environment within the house.
This leaves the building and its collection vulnerable to mould, pests and damage caused by fluctuating humidity and temperature (such as cracking, splitting and failure of joints in furniture).
The new, intelligent heating system will give the collections team greater control over the environment and climate conditions in each room.
Conserving the collections
So that the work can take place, the collections team needed to prepare the house and its collection, packing away approximately 4,000 items. Before being packed away, all the items have been cleaned using special conservation techniques .
The furniture also needed to be moved so that the historic carpets could be rolled, to give access to the floorboards. Even the wall-mounted items needed protecting from the dust produced by the works, so scaffolding has been erected to access the collections before they were cleaned and covered.
With no external storage space, the team are still continuing to clean, pack and move items in the upper levels, around the continuing works.
This new heating system will mean that the house and collection can be enjoyed by all for many years to come. Once it's finished, it will be connected up to the new biomass boiler so it will also reduce our reliance on oil and electricity, helping Charlecote to play its part in the global fight against climate change.