THERE’s a unique opportunity on Saturday, March 1 for visitors to Coughton Court near Alcester to take a look at some of the work that goes on behind the scenes to conserve the building’s features.

The house will be being opened to the public while the conservation team is still hard at work putting everything back into place for the new season, and visitors will be able to see a variety of conservation techniques, maybe even picking up top tips for their own spring cleaning.

During the winter months Coughton Court has been closed while staff undertake the second phase in a four year long re-servicing programme for the building, laying two kilometres of cable to bring the building up to modern day standards and protect it for the future.

The main showrooms have all been packed safely away and protected while floorboards were lifted and panelling removed.

Conservation and engagement manager, Helen Robertson said: “We thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to bring the house back to life in front of visitors, and we hope that this will give you an insight into what happens behind the scenes at Coughton Court. Each day we will be doing something different; from ceramic and book cleaning to caring for the tapestries, and on March 1 and 2 we’ll be re-hanging the droplets on the stunning chandeliers in the Saloon.

“Our Conservation in Action month gives visitors a chance to see first-hand how we care for our collections and we’ll be displaying before and after photos of the re-servicing to show visitors how the precious items at Coughton Court are kept in ideal conditions.

“We’ll also be holding housekeeper’s tours for visitors who’d like to know a little bit more about the conservation work we do at Coughton and at the same time pick up some great tips on how to care for different materials. This is the first time we’ve held a Conservation in Action month and the whole team are looking forward to showing visitors what we do behind the scenes to care for this beautiful property.”

All of the main objects will still be on display around Coughton Court, and visitors will still be able to enjoy the story of the Throckmorton family.

For more information about taking a look at the conservation work, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/coughtoncourt or call 01789 400777.