Last nights talk (14thMarch 2025) was given Dr Leah Warriner-Wood who described
The History & Conservation of the Doddington Hall Tapestries
Dr Leah Warriner-Wood is Senior Lecturer in Conservation of Cultural Heritage at the University of Lincoln. Leah’s research centres on the role of tapestries as material culture in the English country house during the period 1760 to 1814, and she was part of the team that worked on the 17th-century Flemish tapestries in Doddington Hall. There are two bedrooms hung with tapestry in Doddington – the tapestries date from around 1660 but they were cut up and re-hung as wall coverings in the 1760s. Leah tells the story of how the tapestries were conserved and reveal some of the discoveries the team made along the way.
What a really excellent talk given by a lady full of knowledge and enthusiasm for the work she does, and it comes over in her talk. She began with a short history of Doddington Hall and its owners before talking about the history of the tapestries. Showing how the ages had an effect on them, being moved about and cut to suit the walls of the rooms and the way the light and the smoky atmosphere over many years all taking their toll.
Leah explained the process of taking the tapestries down from the wall and way they were cleaned and then conserved before being rehung.
Thank you very much for your talk, Leah, it was most enlightening as to what goes on behind the scenes in the conservation world and we all enjoyed it.
