The National Trust’s conservation team at Stourhead, nr Mere, have completed a two-week conservation clean of the objects inside the Pantheon, an iconic building within Stourhead’s world-famous landscape garden. It is the first of two large-scale conservation temple cleans each year.
Diana of Versailles by John Cheere undergoing conservation cleaning in the Pantheon at Stourhead, which is cared for by the National Trust (3). Credit and copyright National Trust - Jay Williams
The Pantheon, also known as the Temple of the Gods, houses many historic artefacts such as the famous marble Hercules by sculptor Michael Rysbrack and an antique 2,000-year-old statue of Roman Empress Livia Augusta.
Preventive conservation is much more than ‘dusting objects’, it is about keeping the current condition of Stourhead’s objects stable by carefully managing the changes that go on around them, all the time. Each of the Pantheon’s items are meticulously checked, delicately cleaned, and all findings recorded on a Condition Report.
The National Trust is the largest conservation charity in the UK and therefore collection conservation, both built and natural, sits at the heart of Stourhead’s ethos. Our preventive conservation work can often be seen first-hand, as much of it is done in front of our visitors.
To find out more about visiting Stourhead www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead
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