Burghley House Preservation Trust wants to restore Jean Tijou golden gates at Burghley House near Stamford
A stately home’s ‘iconic’ 17th Century golden gates are set to be restored.
Burghley House Preservation Trust wants to conserve and restore the golden gates on the west of the stately home near Stamford.
The iron gates with copper leaf decoration are covered with gold paint and were made in the late 17th Century by Jean Tijou, a Huguenot metal worker and craftsman.
Jean was commissioned for a number of other notable projects including at Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral, as well as other country houses.
“The gates have previously undergone restoration works in the 1990s, however they are now showing signs of degradation which we need to rectify to retain this iconic historic fabric,” said a spokesperson for Burghley House in a planning application submitted to Peterborough City Council.
“There is extensive corrosion beneath the organic coatings, with rust bleeding through to the surface,” they added.
The ironwork at Burghley House and on its estate is Grade I listed and requires any restorations to be of a high standard and in keeping with the original craftsmen’s work.
However, the trust says that the existing damage, including missing elements of decoration, are now part of the history of the gates and should not be ‘overly-repaired or parts replicated’ during the restoration.
A planning application to remove and restore the gates has been submitted to Peterborough City Council, the local authority, which can be viewed by searching for 24/00858/LBC.
Find out about planning applications that affect you at the Public Notice Portal
Burghley House has been a producer's favourite for filming scenes of The Crown, and hit the screens last year in the sixth and final season of the Netflix show.
In September 2021 and January 2023 crews were set up to the west of Burghley House near the golden gates.
The stately home has also been the backdrop for plenty of other TV programmes and films in the past, including the DC Comics’ The Flash, Antiques Roadshow and Pride and Prejudice.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
