Issue 35 autumn 2022 - Flipbook - Page 52
as accessible as possible, with wide parking spaces for
buggies and wheelchairs and an electric shuttle from car
park to hall; sensory back packs and all-terrain wheelchairs available to borrow; a sensory room where visitors
can take a rest; and interpretation in a range of formats
including large print and braille.
are protected with conservation-grade acrylic book bars,
while non-historic books on other shelves can be
handled.
Conservation work has continued during the development of The Children’s Country House, including the
restoration of the Great Staircase, a c. £70,000 project
which has enabled the staircase to be used by visitors for
the first time in 40 years. Staff are also working with
conservation specialists to review and monitor the hall’s
significant plasterwork and woodwork.
It will continue to evolve in coming years, with children
and families actively encouraged to feed back on their
experience and share ideas.
John Orna-Ornstein, Director of Curation and
Experience, says: “I hope that The Children’s Country
House will spark a lifelong love of heritage in the children
who step through its doors, and that it will continue to
delight all who visit with its creativity, magnificent beauty,
and for the window it gives us into the day-to-day lives of
the people who lived, worked and played in its rooms.”
Although the experience has been designed with children
at its heart, everyone is welcome.
Emma Hawthorne says: “While our focus will be on
children and families, we want to make this a fun and
engaging experience for everyone. We are being more creative and more imaginative with our programming and we
hope this will benefit new and repeat visitors of all ages.”
He says the new experience showcases the Trust’s
commitment to be sensitive both to the needs of visitors,
and to the importance of thoughtful presentation and
conservation of the nations’ heritage.
All visitors can enjoy the hall’s lavish Jacobean-style interiors and collections, and information folders are
planned for each room to interpret the fine decoration
and craftsmanship, which includes carvings by Grinling
Gibbons and paintings by Louis Laguerre.
“We try to be imaginative in how we interpret our places:
trying new ideas, where it’s appropriate, to engage people’s
different interests. But, as we’ve done at Sudbury Hall,
we always do this through careful research, and with the
utmost respect for the historic fabric we look after.”
The experience will continue in the garden, where new
areas are being opened up as part of a multi-year programme of investment. In time, children will be able to
learn about, and try, some of the horticultural tasks involved in looking after a historic country house garden.
The Children’s Country House was supported by the
National Lottery through Arts Council England.
The Children’s Country House has been designed to be
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Visit nationaltrust.org.uk/cchsudbury
Above, at The Children's Country House, a costumed boy dances in the 'candlelit' Saloon, where guests
would historically have been entertained. National Trust Images by Annapurna Mellor
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Conservation & Heritage Journal
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