The National Trust has reported that restoration work commenced on the Cadmus Sent in Search of Europa tapestry, which was displayed at the Stag’s Parlour in Lyme Park, Stockport. The tapestry, which tells the classical story of Prince Cadmus, is part of a more extensive series, three of which are exhibited at Lyme Park. The tapestry’s weight and exposure to sunlight have caused significant damage, and restoration work is estimated to cost £150,000 and take more than 1,000 hours.
Lyme Park, which featured as Emberley in the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, is managed by the National Trust. The Cadmus Sent in Search of Europa tapestry is reportedly the oldest tapestry the Trust looks after.
Conservators have described the restoration work as complex, requiring scaffolding to remove the tapestry from the Velcro attached to the wall. The tapestry must be wound around a roller without further damaging the historical relic. Kat Croxford, the collections and house manager at Lyme Park, noted that the tapestry is starting to pull apart the stitching, causing splits. However, she added that once the tapestry is restored and washed, “all the colors will come back even brighter.”
The conservators plan to strip down the tapestry, surface clean it, and then send it to a facility in Belgium, where it will undergo specialist cleaning in a large shower cubicle. Once it is back in the studio, the conservators will add a support layer to the back and begin specialist conservation stitching. The restoration project is expected to last for two years.
