Looking After Our History
Many people who visit Alnwick Castle are eager to explore this iconic setting that is the backdrop of many film and television series filming locations. Another draw for visitors is the opportunity to learn about the fascinating history of the Percy family, and seeing for themselves the treasures kept inside the different rooms of the castle.
But have you ever wondered who looks after the castle and the thousands of objects stored inside its walls? And how the 950 year history of Alnwick Castle is preserved and made accessible to visitors?
Find out more about what it takes to care and conserve the castle and its Northumberland archives, with behind the scenes knowledge and insights from our Collections and Archives team.
What is historic building conservation and why is it necessary?
Conservation of the castle and its collections and archives is a crucial step in ensuring that Alnwick Castle’s history and Northumberland heritage is preserved and accessible for future generations to enjoy, collecting and recording the story of each object and the castle as it evolves over time.
What happens in conservation?
Conservation is the act of managing and preserving items and recording the history of said buildings, to carrying out regular cleaning, managing and implementing repairs where necessary.
What issues do conservators manage?
The conservation of a historic building and its objects presents a wide variety of challenges due to the different materials said objects are made from, their design and structure, location and environment, as well as their age. Conservators manage and care for historic objects and buildings, keeping them safe from accidental damage, pests, pollution, thieves and vandals, incorrect temperature, incorrect humidity, or fire, to name just a few.
At Alnwick Castle, most of the Northumberland collection is used either by the family, or because it is exhibited for visitors to appreciate, so we must reduce risk of damage due to this usage.
Every time we handle historic objects, there is a risk of damaging them due to their fragile nature. With this in mind, the first rule in collections care is to avoid handling objects when it’s not necessary.
Controlling the rooms’ environment to ensure optimum conditions for preserving the objects and interiors can also be a challenge.
For instance, light damage is always a worry, which is why all of the castle's windows are fitted with UV filters. The blinds are also kept down until the very last minute before the doors are opened to visitors every morning.
What skills does a conservator need?
Due to the location and nature of Alnwick Castle being a historic building open to the public, as well as the private family home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, the conservation of the castle and its collections presents a unique set of challenges.
Is it hard to protect historic buildings?
Protecting historic buildings and the collections that call them home comes with a number of different challenges. Historic castles like Alnwick Castle that are open to the public can see detrimental impacts to some of their collections through accidental damage by visitors. For instance, visitors accidentally touching precious and delicate objects can have a negative impact on the look and structural integrity of an object. The damaging oils that are produced by our skin can be detrimental to the object(s) if gloves aren’t worn, especially delicate items like paper and textiles.
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to historic building conservation is controlling the humidity within the castle, as this can fluctuate at various points in the year. Excess moisture in the air can have a negative impact on a number of objects, speeding up deterioration, including tears in paper, discoloration, and cracking in wooden items. To combat this, the team uses a combination of dehumidifiers and heat to ensure that the humidity remains at the optimum level.
What tasks does a conservator undertake?
A conservator's role is very varied, but at the heart of the collections and archive team at Alnwick Castle, is conserving the castle, its objects, and preserving Northumberland heritage for future generations.
All of the objects in storage or on display within the castle are catalogued, photographed and regularly cleaned, ensuring that any details of their history and condition are recorded.
Cleaning is a large part of historic building restoration, ensuring that each item is in the best possible condition to be conserved for years to come. This involves deep cleaning of items on a regular basis, which is usually undertaken in the winter months when the castle is temporarily closed to the public. This allows our team time to refresh the collections and archives in Northumberland, which can vary from small textile items to large objects, such as chandeliers with thousands of individual parts.
The collections and archives team works closely with the Household team to set appropriate cleaning routines. There are daily, monthly and annual routines in place to ensure everything is cared for adequately. For example, the visitor route is cleaned daily to remove as much dust and dirt generated by the visitors as possible. The paintings and chandeliers, however, only get cleaned once a year during the annual deep cleaning of each room.
For large items like a chandelier, this is an intricate process that involves the erection of scaffolding within the room it is in for the the team to gain access to it at height, dismantling it carefully piece by piece, cleaning each section, making any repairs, and reassembling it piece by piece at height on the scaffolding. When constructing scaffolding within any areas of the castle, the surrounding objects and furniture need to be carefully removed or covered to avoid any damage. This process is repeated for any large items at height, including the castle's intricately gilded state room ceilings, hundreds of paintings throughout the castle, as well as any wooden panelling and lighting.
What is the best part of a conservators job at Alnwick Castle?
Not only is the castle a beautiful and spectacular place to work, but each day brings a new set of challenges and problems to solve with creative solutions, ensuring a future for the castle and its many objects.
Restoration Projects at Alnwick Castle
At Alnwick Castle, we are very passionate about the restoration of historic buildings, and our most recent - and ongoing - project has been restoring the castle’s Great Kitchen.
The purpose of this four-year project is to unveil the past and share a significant part of the castle’s history with its visitors, as this part of the castle has never been accessible to the public. Some highlights visitors can look forward to seeing for themselves are the kitchen’s Victorian ovens and grand larder rooms, as well as learning all about the hydraulic technology and cutting-edge steam that was at the centre of Victorian innovation.
Discover The History of Alnwick Castle
Discover the history of Alnwick Castle and explore the collections and rooms firsthand by booking your tickets with us today!
If you’re planning your visit to the castle and want to know more about our upcoming events, head to our What’s On page.