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Best Staircase (Restoration of building fabric)
Restoration of building fabric where lift removed in Best Staircase G13a.
A Brief History
1889 hydraulic lift manufactured by Clark Bennett & Co for £175 was enstalled. By 1942 lift car inserted for 5th Lord Lilford (1863-1945) within stairwell. Lift shaft necessitated the removal of section of cornice to face of floor of landing F11a and section of paving in G13a to accommodate base. First floor balustrade (Fltcroft) adapted as gates to lift shaft. In late 20C lift car removed.
1740s Flitcroft’s drawings for the staircase and columnar screen. The first floor storey enriched with trophies contrasting with a plain ground floor. 1847 Habershon’s section for alterations to the east end of the South range extends to the Best staircase and generally confirms construction as drawn by Flitcroft. (NB: some discrepencies accepted as the stair is only included to set the context for the alterations at the Music Room). 1900 Cowtan’s addition of plaster enrichments: Ground floor - enriched mouldings to articulate the ground floor walls as panelling above the dado (Paint Analysis). Late 20C: ceiling rose to landing (Paint analysis).
What's to do
The restoration of the mahogany balustrade to the landing F11a with the reversal of the alteration to form lift gates. The reinstatement of the ground floor cornice to extend across the landing where cut to remove projections into the lift shaft. The replacement of the paving to match adjacent where removed for the lift pit and subsequently boarded over.
The removal of the 20C plaster enrichments from the walls of the ground floor. The removal of the late 20C ceiling rose from landing F9. The restablishment of the plain plaster walls to the ground floor regains the hierarchy between the ground and first floors. The Staircase can be considered Flitcroft’s best work at Lilford and in general survives largely intact. The alterations of 1900 are small scale, but particularly intrusive.
Pictures
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