Stowe House

Restoring a neo-classical masterpiece

Introduction

Stowe House, a Grade I-listed building in Buckinghamshire, is one of the most significant examples of neo-classical architecture in Britain. Initially built for Sir Richard Temple in the 17th century, it has been home to Stowe School since 1922. It is set within a renowned landscape designed by Capability Brown and owned by The National Trust.

In 1999, following a major grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Stowe House Preservation Trust (SHPT) appointed Purcell as heritage and conservation architects to deliver an ambitious, multi-phase programme of restoration to return this architectural treasure to its original splendour. Each project has involved extensive research, including architectural recordings and reports from conservators, historians, and archaeologists.

Over two decades, we have led a transformative series of internal and external works, including the conservation of the North and South Fronts, the Library, State Drawing Room, Temple Room, and North Hall. Many of these projects required delicate coordination around the daily operation of the school, with works timed to minimise disruption.

Traditional techniques

With the building on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register and the World Monuments Fund’s watch list, Stowe House urgently needed repairs to the north front and colonnades.

We started by restoring the original approach to the house, removing the forecourt car park and reinstating the grassed layout, before repairing the stonework using Bath stone and traditional hand-tool techniques. A diluted iron sulphate was applied to tone in the newer material – a technique originally used in the 18th century to disguise the differences in tonality of the stone.

We relaid roofs with slates, before restoring the copper dome over the Marble Saloon to return the silhouette of the house to its original form.

'This project is the zenith of over 20 years of magnificent restoration.'

– Andrew Fane OBE, Chair, Stowe House Preservation Trust

Lost treasures

Among the most complex challenges was restoring interiors that had been stripped of their original contents following the 1922 sale of the estate. In-depth research informed the recreation of these elements, with replicas of lost fixtures and furnishings produced using advanced digital techniques. Across all rooms, interventions were informed by conservation science, archival records, and specialist surveys.

The Marble Saloon, a focal point of the house, underwent extensive conservation, including repairs to its coffered ceiling, Roman triumphal frieze, and marble floor.

Scagliola columns were repolished, lighting was sensitively upgraded, and copies of original classical statuary were installed in the niches, completing the room’s majestic appearance.

The restored Marble Saloon; frieze detail

The State Drawing Room

The State Drawing Room restoration included structural floor repairs and reinstatement of an oak floor to match the original board widths. Paint analysis confirmed the 1800 decorative scheme, which featured gilded joinery and walls once lined with patterned orange silk damask. To accommodate modern school use, the latter was interpreted using a robust decorative wallcovering.

The State Library and Ante Library, damaged by historic roof failures, were restored following reroofing. Traces of gold leaf uncovered on the ceiling guided the meticulous decorative reinstatement. New bespoke furnishings and lighting were introduced to support modern educational needs while respecting the room’s historic character.

During all phases of work, Stowe School remained in residence, and visitor and event operations continued. Works to the Temple Room took place during Covid-19 school closures, providing rare access for uninterrupted craftsmanship – the original floorboards had lost over 50% of their thickness. Complications, such as delays in sourcing French oak due to the concurrent restoration of Notre Dame, required creative solutions to maintain quality and continuity.

Collaborative conservation

The State Dining Room

The culmination of the restoration project was the State Dining Room, executed collaboratively with Messenger as principal contractor. Originally a State Gallery, the room was transformed into a dining space in the late 18th century. Its 1750s ceiling, painted by the Venetian artist Francesco Sleter and depicting mythological scenes, had suffered significant water damage. Chroma Conservation carried out detailed cleaning, plaster repairs, regilding, and redecoration, reviving its ornate splendour. The restored ceiling incorporates discreet, energy-efficient lighting that can be adjusted to evoke the original candlelit atmosphere.

French oak flooring procured by Whitmores was installed by Capital Flooring, matched to the original dimensions and waxed for longevity. Missing fireplace surrounds were recreated using digital scans and handcrafted timber replicas by Refinery, finished by specialist decorators to replicate marble veining. Zardi & Zardi recreated Flemish tapestries that once adorned the room by using ultra-high-resolution photography printed onto wallpaper.

Representation of interiors

In a number of subsequent phases of this vast restoration project, our team cleaned and conserved Vincenzo Valdrè’s decorative scheme to the Music Room, while also restoring Stowe’s Egyptian Hall, and the Blue Room. Within the North Hall, we conserved William Kent’s painted ceiling, redecorated the walls and laid a new stone floor to replace the 1950s terrazzo floor tiling.

This restoration marks the conclusion of one of the most extensive heritage projects in Europe.

Our enduring partnership with SHPT reflects our deep commitment to heritage architecture. By combining scholarly research with design sensitivity and collaborative delivery, we have helped to secure the future of Stowe House for both the school community and public visitors, echoing the building’s 18th-century role as a celebrated cultural destination.