Jean Tijou golden gates return to Burghley House near Stamford after extensive preservation by Yorkshire-based Topp and Co

A stately home’s ‘iconic’ 17th Century golden gates have returned to their pride of place.

The golden gates on the west front of Burghley House near Stamford have survived being blown off in the Second World War and three centuries of being exposed to the elements - but time finally took its toll.

To protect the gates - which were designed and made by French blacksmith Jean Tijou - for years to come, the team at Burghley House launched a programme of extensive restoration and conservation works.

Jon Culverhouse, curator at Burghley House, said: "The Tijou gates are not only a stunning example of Baroque craftsmanship but also an integral part of Burghley’s architectural heritage.

“Their restoration has been a meticulous process, ensuring that they can be admired for generations to come.

“We are thrilled to see them returned to their rightful place, gleaming once more as they did over 300 years ago."

The 12ft tall gates were removed last September and taken to Yorkshire-based Topp and Co, where architectural metalworkers completed a six-month restoration project.

They were carefully cleaned and taken back to bare metal, allowing the blacksmiths to establish a timeline of previous repairs, the latest of which took place in 1997.

Where possible, well-preserved earlier repairs were retained, acknowledging them as part of the gates’ rich history but other elements had to be remade.

More than 40 new copper leaves were crafted to closely match the originals and any deteriorated wrought iron components were replaced like-for-like. Much of the scrollwork at the base of the gates was reconstructed and fitted with new collars to align with the original design.

Some losses date back to the Second World War when a bomb exploded a few hundred metres from Burghley House tearing the gates apart.

Once repaired, the wrought iron gates were gilded in gold and were returned to the stately home near Stamford yesterday (March 27).

Christopher Cotton, a conservation architect who advises Burghley Estate, said: “Before the gates looked quite tired, and although remarkable, didn’t play to their strengths.”

Tijou, whose craftmanship can also be seen at Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral, is one of Christopher’s architectural heroes which made the project even more special.

Christopher describes the Grade I listed gates as one of the treasures of Burghley House and believes Tijou would be pleased they had been restored to look the way he intended.

He added: “Hopefully the work we have done will be good for the next 60 years.”

The gates can be seen from the parkland and also up close in the South Garden, which is open until April 21 as part of an exhibition with Graphic Rewilding.

Have you seen the gates? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.