Clandon House - The Basement

Its been just over 2 years since I last visited Clandon House, and over 4 years since the devastating fire which virtually gutted the house in April 2015.

This year the National Trust has opened up the Basement area to visitors.  As they finalise their plans for the future, based around restoring the show rooms on the ground floor and open exhibit areas, they have mounted a small exhibition there showing photos of the damage and recovered items and seeking public opinion on what form the restoration could take. My hope is that they keep some of the previously hidden features on show somehow, such as blue painted panelling in the State Bedroom which was cover by red damask paper in the 1970s.

Though largely undamaged by the fire, the basements shows evidence of the ferocity of the fire, such as the peeling paint on the entrance to the original NT shop (extra), and the view up the Stone Staircase, now all but disappeared, to the open roof in the main image.