Erddig's State Bed

Visiting the state bed  

The route through the house may change, affecting the opening dates and times of the Print Room. Please visit the website for the latest information on when the room is open.  

The print room will be temporarily closed from 4 November until around February 2025 for the Christmas period. 

What is Erddig’s State Bed project?

At the top of the stairs overlooking the estate you’ll find Erddig’s State Bedroom, a place once used to accommodate the home’s most distinguished guests.

The bedroom is adorned in a beautiful hand painted Chinese wallpaper and holds a rare surviving bed known as a lit a duchesse or ‘angel’ tester bed dating from 1720.

The bed was hung with delicate Chinese embroidered silk satin textiles; a bed cover and valances, a tester with valances and curtains, all in original white silk, embroidered with Chinese figures, pagodas, birds and flowers.

However, by 1968 the bed was in a severe state of deterioration following decades of coal mining subsidence that caused water ingress directly onto the bed. It was rescued from near dereliction by London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. Since its installation back at Erddig in 1977, the bed has remained untouched, except for a minor intervention in 1995.

Unfortunately, more recent condition reports once again highlighted its poor condition with the 1968 treatment failing. As a result, in 2018 the National Trust team began their eight-year conservation project to restore the bed, generously funded by The Wolfson Foundation.

 

State bed coverlet now on display   

The state bed cover, crafted from silk satin, features intricate embroidery with delicate peacocks in each of the four corners, complemented by flowers and grapes along the edges. Over time, the original silk has become extremely fragile, suffering from losses and holes, leaving only strands of the weft in many areas. Despite the wear, much of the beautiful embroidery has remarkably survived.  

Until recently, the bed cover was believed to be made entirely of Chinese silk. However, vital conservation work at the National Trust Textile Conservation Studio has revealed that this treasured bed cover is composed of a mixture of design, materials and techniques from around the world including Welsh and British fabrics.   

Volunteer research has discovered the bed cover’s intriguing make-up is a result of careful repair work done by Louisa Yorke, the wife of Philip Yorke II, just after the First World War. As household spending declined and the number of servants at Erddig reduced, the Yorkes dedicated themselves to preserving the house and its contents. Mrs. Yorke spent her time patching the damaged cover using materials likely found around the home. Unusually, she documented her efforts in a journal, noting how others assisted her with the repairs. On 18 August 1919, she wrote: ‘My guests are all most obliging. We spent over an hour in the state room putting pieces into the worn places of the beautiful Chinese drapery.’  

Susanne Gronnow, Erddig’s Property Curator says ‘Thankfully, Mrs Yorke recognised the historical significance of the state bed. Without the dedication of Mrs. Yorke and her friends over a century ago, this important bed would not have survived for us to see today.’  

Visitors to Erddig can now see the intricate details of the bed cover up close, in the new exhibition in the property's Print Room. This is a unique opportunity to view these details like never before, so be sure to plan your visit to experience this rare display in person.  

The route through the house may change, affecting the opening dates and times of the Print Room. Please visit the website for the latest information on when the room is open.