Following the surprise discovery of original William Morris wallpaper at Mount Grace Priory, English Heritage has re-created two Arts and Crafts rooms at the North Yorkshire property.
Results of the Project Now Open to Visitors
From June 2011, visitors will be able to see the finished results, including a copy of the Morris wallpaper made from the original printing blocks, beautiful furniture of the period and an extremely rare William Morris carpet - the Redcar carpet, designed by Morris for the very family who once owned Mount Grace.
Piecing Together the Jigsaw
The 600 year old 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. Not only did Sir Isaac sensitively restore the crumbling monastic and 17th century architecture, he also converted the manor house into a fashionable Arts and Crafts country house - a sharp contrast to the monks' austere cells. But by the end of the 20th century these rooms had fallen into disrepair. The timber floors were rotten and the once sumptuous furnishings and wallpaper supplied by the famous firm, Morris & Co, had all but gone.
However using tantalising clues, English Heritage has now re-created the rooms. A key piece in the jigsaw was the discovery of a patch of original Arts and Crafts wallpaper hidden behind bookshelves in the drawing room. A sample was sent to the Morris & Co archive for identification where specialists confirmed it was a floral design called Double Bough designed between 1890 and 1891. To the curator's delight, all of the original fruit-wood printing blocks used to make the wallpaper were also at the archive. These blocks were used to re-create the wallpaper, with each roll taking over one week to make using the 19th century technology.
Old Photos and Drawings Used to Recreate the Rooms
Martin Allfrey, English Heritage Head of Collections, explained how the team recreated the rooms: "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. We had an inventory dating to 1945, along with the architect's drawings from 1898 and photographs of Arts and Craft rooms at the now demolished Rounton Grange, near Northallerton, which was Sir Isaac's primary residence. Using these we have been able to find furniture typical of the period from dealers, auctions and donations, including a cabinet designed by George Jack, who took over from Phillip Webb as chief furniture designer at Morris & Co. This has been a fascinating project and we think the public will be thrilled with the results. "
The Redcar carpet is Now in PLace
The project was concluded when the rare and beautiful William Morris rug, known as the Redcar carpet, will be installed in the drawing room. The Redcar carpet was made for Hugh Bell, son of Sir Isaac and has remained in the Bell family since its creation in the early 1880s. The carpet is currently at William Morris's home, Kelmscott Manor in Oxfordshire. Its temporary loan to Mount Grace Priory means that it is returning to one of the homes of the carpet's original owner.
The project was funded through donations and bequests from the public.
