Conservation Spotlight #1- The Victorian Stair

For decades, Eastbury's main stairway located in the entrance hall has had a municipal look, designed more for heavy wear than historic accuracy or aesthetics. In 2025, with funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, we embarked on repairing, restoring, and reupholstering the staircase to create a more fitting central staircase.

History & Provenance

The staircase is not original to the house, but was installed in the mid-1800's, providing easier access to all floors and creating a central landing space. Its sweeping style and curved balustrade is typical of Victorian fashion. By putting in this staircase, the Great Hall on the ground floor was shrunk, as were the bedrooms above. You can see how windows in both rooms overlooking the inner courtyard are now interrupted.

Assessing & Implementing the restoration

Decades of wear and tear have had an impact on the staircase, though in the most part, it has held up incredibly well. The first stage of work included assessing repairs to the treads and floorboards at the bottom of the stair- excited school children jumping off the last step had split a couple of floorboards! The panelled section on the ground floor also needed extensive repairs and retouching, all using traditional techniques.

The existing carpet finish and stair nosing was unsightly, and detracted from the appreciation of the staircase. We looked at a range of potential options, from removing all upholstery and leaving a wooden stair, to an ornate carpet runner popular during the Victorian period. We felt it was important to reference the period when the staircase was put in, but also ensure a sympathetic finish to the rest of the house. By installing a runner style carpet, we preserved the Victorian style; the sisal, natural woven carpet references the house's use as a farm during the Victorian era.

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Conservation Spotlight #1- The Victorian Stair

Our Conservation Spotlights take you behind the scenes of some of our conservation and restoration practice at Eastbury. For decades, Eastbury's main stairway located in the entrance hall has had a municipal look, designed more for heavy wear than historic accuracy or aesthetics. In 2025, with funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, we embarked on repairing, restoring, and reupholstering the staircase to create a more fitting central staircase. The staircase is not original to the house, but was installed in the mid-1800's, providing easier access to all floors and creating a central landing space.