National Trust: Preservation Over Replacement at the Knole House

This past Friday, I visited the Knole House in Sevenoaks, Kent. Known as one of the largest homes in the United Kingdom, it has 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances, and 7 courtyards. For about 525 years it has served as a residence.

Today, the home serves as a tourist attraction. What I enjoyed most about the home is how the National Trust, the non-profit group operating it and over 350 other historical properties, is concentrating its efforts on preservation rather than restoration.

The home itself was beautiful, but when I walked in to the rooms of the Knole House, I immediately noticed the dullness of the upholstery and aging of the artwork and furniture. Dating back to the 17th century, the furniture has simply suffered from use, light, and humidity damage. I found after speaking with some volunteers staffed throughout the house that good-faith preservation efforts made decades ago has also accelerated the aging process.

Today, the National Trust is doing their best to preserve the house and its furniture. Window shades are closed whenever guests are not in the house. In fact, an agreement only allows the shades open for 1,000 hours per year. The antique furniture will be replaced only when it is deemed to fragile for display. This is a refreshing practice compared to organizations too eager to replace original items because they have lost some of their luster.