Preparing the object to receive the moulding material

The moulding material setting

Trial run with the dried mount

The Petrie Museum houses an estimated 80,000 objects, making it one of the greatest collections of Egyptian and Sudanese archaeology in the world. It illustrates life in the Nile Valley from prehistory through the time of the pharaohs, the Ptolemaic, Roman and Coptic periods to the Islamic period.

Cliveden has worked with the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology (part of UCL) for a number of years, carrying out the stabilisation of the stone in their teaching collection.

The collection hasn’t really changed since its excavation. Past/historic treatments to the collection were carried out with heavy coatings, which we’ve reduced or removed in order to stabilise the object.

We’ve also been producing mounts for each piece. These are as discreet, non invasive and non destructive as possible, which allow easy access and disassembly for study and future conservation.

A space in the Hadrianic Baths

A room in the Hadrianic Baths

At the request of Professor Robert Smith of the University of Oxford, a detailed inspection and survey was made of the Hadrianic Baths at Aphrodisias, Anatolia, during the months of August and September 2010, to assess the physical condition and possible conservation requirements of the extant ruins.

The ruins are in the preliminary stages of evaluation, and there are a number of areas that are structurally unstable. Timber shoring has been inserted in places to provide extra support but ideally these would be replaced with more permanent measures in the near future.

Excavation and exposure of the Baths complex to the environment in the 1960s has resulted in the erosion of weak materials such as soft mortars and cracked stone. In contrast to this, many areas are obscured or covered by accumulations of vegetation and dirt, and the condition of some floor and features cannot be assessed until they are further excavated or cleared.

Our report provided a detailed fabric survey supported by photographs which identified types and causes of decay. Conservation recommendations were then made in accordance with a list of specified methods that are accepted and practised at the site of Aphrodisias.

Recommended works can be divided into the following categories:

• Structural repair
• Excavation and architectural research
• Walls: Non-structural repair
• Walls: Preventative conservation/Maintenance
• Finishes: conservation/restoration
• Floor repairs and conservation

Scaffold from which to carry out the work

Cleaning plaster figures on the ceiling

Condition Plan

The works process involved an initial survey to assess the physical condition of the area and documentation of any damage on CAD drawings. Once this had been done, each area was dry-cleaned by using soft brushes to sweep dust into a low suction vacuum cleaner.

Cracks were then filled with a colour-matched mixture of acrylic filler, white paint and pigments. Peeling paint was gently consolidated and re-adhered with a 1% solution of acrylic emulsion.

Above the ceiling, floorboards were lifted to check the integrity of the ceiling structure and to inspect the condition of the lathing above areas of cracking. Three holes that had been cut for the insertion of fire aspirators were also filled ­with tailor-made plaster of Paris ‘plugs’ which were suspended from above with stainless steel pins.

During the works, plaster, paint and dust samples were taken for recording and analysis. Any observations about construction detail of the ceiling were also noted.

The restoration project involved the removal, conservation and return of the fragments of the sculptures, the carving of two new Ounces, and remounting these on the gate piers. There was also the preparation of the plinths prior to the new installation and the conservation and repair to the masonry of the piers.

The original Ounce was conserved, and made strong enough to be put on display in the exhibition room at Downhill.

The Ounces resemble the animal figures of the Earl Bishop’s crest, which depicts leopard-like animals on the Hervey coat of arms. To ensure the highest quality and most accurate result, the Cliveden carvers spent quite some time researching pictorial references to the statuary.

Cliveden Conservation’s head office is in the estate’s grounds and we advise and train these National Trust volunteers in the cleaning and maintenance programme.

The statues, urns, sarcophagi, well-heads and columns were brought to Hever between 1903 by collector of antiquities, William Waldorf Astor, when he was an American representative in Rome.

One of the most magnificent areas of the Grade 1 listed garden is the Italian Garden which was designed to display Astor’s historic collection of sculpture.

Julia Gynn, Senior Conservator led the team of three Cliveden conservators on site and did a fantastic job representing us and securing the next phases of work.

Hever Castle Chief Executive, Duncan Leslie, was delighted that the antiquities were restored to their former glory. ‘We have over 200 statues and pieces of sculpture,’ he said. ‘It’s an amazing opportunity for visitors to see such historic pieces displayed in our award-winning gardens rather than a museum. And a fitting coincidence that Cliveden Conservation is based at Cliveden House in Berkshire, the Italianate mansion and estate that was home to Astor in 1893, just 10 years before he acquired Hever Castle.’

Cleaning and conservation had been carried out on this fountain before, but not to this extent. The frost damage to the Sienna marble shell was extensive and required immediate attention to avoid further problems. Lichen growth had covered the figures and was detracting from their form, while the fountain’s function had decayed with time.

The shell was cleaned and repaired and the figures cleaned and limewashed. The fountain’s pipework was cleaned and renewed, and new, upgraded pumps were installed along with new nozzles. It’s made a dramatic difference to one of the much-loved attractions on the estate.

As part of our advisory role for The National Trust, we carry out surveys of entire collections, providing maintenance plans and prioritising repairs to budget.

The collection at Anglesey equates to over a hundred pieces, all of which are monitored for change and recorded in both photographic and annotated form by us on a regular basis.

We also work closely with The Trust to educate volunteers with basic conservation principles and carry out workshops to show how sculpture may be cleaned using minimal intervention techniques.

Cliveden Conservation regularly provides training courses for The National Trust.

Trevor Proudfoot – in his advisory capacity – runs and oversees a range of training opportunities for a broad spectrum of the National Trust team.

Housekeeping days deal with the day-to-day maintenance of internal stone and marble objects.

Cleaning days are held with staff and volunteers to educate attendees on appropriate ways to work with the Trust’s external collections. Training days on maintenance of buildings and stone have included some basic masonry skills, identification of issues and problems and working with lime mortars.

Education and training workshops are also available to other organisations and Cliveden Conservation experts regularly speak at conferences and forums, taking an active role in the work of professional bodies and amenity societies.

For more information please call 01628 604721.

Cliveden Conservation was employed directly as the main contractor to carry out all conservation and restoration works to the interior of this multiply-roofed church.

The roofs of the church consist of a central double pitch with ridge running east to west above the nave, two single pitched roofs (one above each aisle), and a smaller double pitched roof with ridge running north to south above the South Transept.

It was this complex network of roofs and water drains that led to water ingress and in turn caused much of the damage found on arrival.

The ceilings are divided into 164 separate panels by a network of roof timbers and non-structural timber ribs. Each timber panel is then embellished with run plaster mouldings and applied cast decoration. All embellishment is painted to replicate timber – giving the overall effect of a large neo-gothic styled roof.

From a large, fixed ‘birdcage’ scaffold a full survey was conducted to establish the exact nature of the works. In keeping with our general approach to repairs, minimal intervention was taken; with only those areas beyond repair being replaced with like-for-like materials.

As main contractor and specialist conservators, Cliveden Conservation were then responsible for all structural stabilising works, repairs in both fibrous and traditional lime plastering and overseeing the reinstatement of the traditional decoration.