Entrance hall looks perfect for visitors

A grand new floorcloth has been installed at Attingham Park thanks to a generous bequest left by the late Thomas Bennet Parton, who was known as Tony.

Without his legacy the Trust would not have been able to afford to carry out the work.

The new floor cloth is a reproduction of a design that was installed in 2001 to welcome visitors to the mansion.

Helen Rowse, mansion engagement and conservation manager said: "Despite regular cleaning, maintenance and turning over the past 16 years the current floorcloth is on its last legs. We now have over 100,000 visitors a year visiting the mansion and almost all of them walk over the current floorcloth bringing in grit, dust and dirt. The new floorcloth means that we’ll be able to carry on welcoming visitors in Regency style."

The design is based on a description of an original floorcloth in place during the early 1800’s described as ‘a handsome square piece of stone and slate colour octagon panelled roset-pattern floor cloth’. It was made of an early form of linoleum, protecting the plain stone floor and providing a decorative surface to welcome visitors to the mansion.

Cardiff Theatrical Services were brought in to create the new floorcloth. The current design was traced and digitally transposed, stencils were laser cut and two trial pieces produced to ensure an accurate copy and to make sure the colours blended with the entrance hall’s decorative scheme. Over the past few months the trial pieces have been on display in the entrance hall for visitors to see, and find out more about the work taking place.

Sarah Kay, Attingham’s curator said: "Visitors have been really interested in finding out not just the details of the floorcloth but also about what the National Trust has to consider when opening and caring for historic houses. As a conservation charity donations and bequests help us to carry out important work conserving and restoring the historic houses, countryside, woodlands and coastline in the National Trust’s care."