STAFF at a 600-year-old tourist attraction have been adding the finishing touches to a much anticipated makeover.
English Heritage decided to recreate two arts and crafts rooms at Mount Grace Priory, near Osmotherley, North Yorkshire, following the discovery last year of some of the property’s original wallpaper.
From this month, visitors to the priory will be able to see the finished results, including a copy of the wallpaper made from the original printing blocks, furniture of the period and an extremely rare William Morris carpet, known as the Redcar carpet, designed for the family who once owned Mount Grace.
The priory, which nestles under the western brow of the North York Moors, was saved from ruin in the late 19th Century by wealthy steel magnate and patron of the arts, Sir Isaac Lowthian Bell.
Martin Allfrey, English Heritage’s head of collections, said: “Surviving features in the drawing room include the fireplace, tiling and windows, but getting the rest of the room right was more of a detective job.
“This has been a fascinating project and we think the public will be thrilled with the results.”
This month will see the conclusion of the project when the carpet will be installed in the drawing room.
The carpet was made for Hugh Bell, son of Sir Isaac, and has remained in the Bell family since its creation in the early 1880s.
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