Deep clean on a grand scale

Traditional housekeeping in country houses has remained the same for centuries, as JANET HUGHES finds out at Longleat

- JANET HUGHES

HERE can't be many of us who wouldn't at least give our home a quick once over with a vacuum and a duster before visitors arrive, so one can only imagine what it would be like welcoming hundreds of thousands of paying guests intent on exploring every nook and cranny through your front door.

As the owners of one of England's finest Elizabethan houses the 8th Marquess of Bath, Ceawlin Thynn, and his wife Emma are understandably very particular about how their 128-room Grade I-listed mansion looks when it opens to the public.

And the man ultimately in charge of making sure everything is spotlessly clean and shiny when they arrive is Dr James Ford. An art historian by profession, the head curator has been responsible for preserving and showcasing treasures dating back to Tudor times since arriving at Longleat House in 2019 following spells working for English Heritage and The Houses of Parliament.

It is he who manages the five-strong team who keep the antique furniture, textiles, silverware, glassware and ceramics in tip top condition.

"They are a really dedicated and highly trained group of conservation assistants who are incredibly hard working and diligent," says Devon born-and-bred James who decided to return to the West Country from London after marrying and starting a family. "They do the really important work of looking after the collections day to day and carry out the annual deep spring clean.

"This when they get the opportunity to get into the rooms, roll back all the carpets, move all the furniture, get up to the curtains, really do the deep cleaning we are unable to do the rest of the year because the house is open to the public."

In reality the spring clean starts in January when the team take down the impressive Christmas decorations and their first job is to hoover up the pine needles from nine trees dotted around the house which was built between 1568 and 1580.