Conservation and Restoration

Even though Haddon is of a sturdy construction and has admirably withstood the test of time, Restoration work on the Hall is an ongoing process largely made possible by income from visitors. The most noticeable recent repairs have been to the stonework of some of the windows made necessary by the long-term effect of weather, and corrosion of the wrought iron glazing bars. The most recent project has been the restoration of the three windows in the south wall of the chapel, built in the early 15th Century, and completed in the spring of 2004.

This has been a delicate project with the intricate stonework being exactly copied, using local Derbyshire sandstone, in the same perpendicular style and carefully mortared back into position. The windows were carefully removed, and after assessment and taking a rubbing of each panel, each piece of glass was dismantled, gently cleaned, and then re-leaded. Some of the ancient, olive-green 'quarries' or diamond-shaped panels were less than a millimetre thick.

History of the Haddon Hall Rooms