Priceless 300-year-old bed to undergo major restoration

The state bed at Erddig, a National Trust property near the Shropshire/north Wales border, dates back to 1720 and still has its original silk fabric while the Chinese wallpaper in the bedroom is about 250 years old.

The room is so delicate visitors can only look into the room through a glass box inside the door – a measure introduced by the Victoria and Albert Museum when its experts restored the bed in the sixties.

Now Erddig's House and Collection team is renewing the ground-breaking conservation work undertaken by the Victoria and Albert Museum team over 60 years ago.

Led by a national team of experts, conservationists began dismantling and sending the first part of the bed to the National Trust Textile Conservation Studio in Norfolk.

"The time and specialist care involved in taking apart the tester, or canopy, is incredible and this is just the very start," House and Collections Manager, Graeme Clarke said.

“The team of conservators worked throughout the winter to establish the condition of this rare and special piece of furniture and we’re now investigating how best to go about protecting it for another 100 years. One thing is clear, the bed is in a very fragile state and doing nothing is not an option."

The work is being supported by the Wolfson Foundation.

"There is so much work to be done, all of which is going to take a lot of time and money.

"At the moment the state bedroom will remain presented as a ‘work in progress’, giving visitors the chance to see some of the previously hidden structure and fabrics for the first time."

Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation said, “I am thrilled to be announcing this funding. We have worked hard to attract applications from across Wales, and to emphasise that we wish to fund great projects wherever they are located. The projects announced will, in a variety of ways, have a hugely beneficial impact on the lives of people in Wales."

Organisations wishing to apply to the Wolfson Foundation can check their eligibility at www.wolfson.org.uk/funding.