Episode 4
Caring for the curious collections at two of the National’s Trust’s most unusual houses, from a boy’s suit of Samurai armour to stuffed birds and a living collection of rare sheep
From samurai armour and curious collectibles to rare wildlife and living heritage, this episode explores the remarkable world of collectors – and the dedicated teams working to protect their extraordinary legacies.
Hidden in a quiet Cotswolds village sits Snowshill Manor, home to one of the National Trust’s most eccentric collections. More than 22,000 objects fill the house, gathered by the imaginative and unconventional collector Charles Paget Wade. Born in 1883, Wade devoted his life to rescuing everyday objects he believed were disappearing from the modern world.
From bicycles and buckets to model ships and mechanical curiosities, the rooms are crammed with items that fascinated him. Among the most striking displays is the Samurai Room, where rows of Japanese armour stand like silent guardians. Some were bought in extraordinary circumstances – including a memorable purchase when Wade walked into a gas fitter’s shop for a washer and walked out with seven suits of armour.
Today the National Trust team care for around thirty sets of armour at Snowshill Manor. But one particularly rare example has been selected for a special mission. A child’s samurai suit dating from the early 18th century has been chosen to appear in a major exhibition at the British Museum.
Before it can go on display the delicate armour must undergo urgent conservation at both the National Trust’s Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio at Knole and its textile conservation studio in Norfolk. The ornate suit is made up of dozens of intricate components, including iron plates, silk lacing, lacquered surfaces and gilded leather.
Years of light damage and pest activity have left some parts dangerously fragile. Conservators now face a race against time to stabilise the armour so this remarkable survivor can go safely on display.
Meanwhile in Derbyshire, another extraordinary collection tells the story of a very different kind of obsession. At Calke Abbey, generations of the Harpur-Crewe family amassed one of Britain’s largest natural history collections. The house itself still bears the marks of decline – peeling wallpaper and faded interiors deliberately preserved by the National Trust to show the state of the building in the 1980s, when it stood on the brink of collapse.
Within its rooms are thousands of specimens: shells, rocks, fossils, bird eggs and taxidermy animals collected over centuries. The Victorian baronet Sir Vauncey Harpur-Crewe expanded the collection dramatically, turning the house into a museum of natural history filled with display cases.
Now some of those historic specimens need careful attention. Specialist taxidermist Sarah is working to clean and stabilise several fragile birds, gently restoring their feathers so they can continue to be displayed.
But Calke’s conservation story doesn’t stop indoors. Outside in the parkland, rangers are caring for a flock of rare breed Portland sheep whose survival once hung in the balance. Ranger Emily and the team must choose which ewes and rams have the right attributes to preserve the flock’s characteristics, and hope for a flock of new lambs in the Spring.
