Arsenic and Old Lead

A while ago, a few of our viewers asked if we could release some videos showing more of the interiors of Wentworth Woodhouse.
In this video, we take a detailed look at one of the rooms which for now at least, isn't open to the public.
Make sure that you subscribe to our channel to see more of the hidden spaces at Wentworth Woodhouse.
#wentworthwoodhouse #rotherham #southyorkshire #preservation #regeneration #restoration #history #historical #wallpaper #wallpapers #arsenic #paint #interiors #interiordesign

[@dianeleahy3345]

Absolutely fascinating, and two very good presenters. Thanks wentworth wood house.

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

Our pleasure!

[@user-zc9jo8ks5p]

Wonderful! Thank you all for your efforts and dedication to bring this enormous project to stability and a place in future generations.

[@jamesclark1152]

A fascinating story about the history of the wallpaper its current condition and the challenges facing its preservation. A brilliant piece of work by the Wentworth Woodhouse digital team who created this amazing video.

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

Thank you. We're very proud of our our Digital Team volunteers! :-)

[@teaoclock9080]

I'd love to be able to take a look at the green dining room in person someday, once the conservation work is complete - the arsenic greens, though deadly, really are beautiful, and Scheele's Green (which the shade in that room at least bears a close resemblance to) is my favourite of them. To see it in reality rather than just in pictures would be amazing!

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

The wallpaper has been stabilised now, so it's possible that one of the new tours we plan to introduce in 2025 might include the Green Dining Room. We'll keep you posted on this channel.

[@roybond5404]

So much work to be done,and so much money to find.

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

Very true... but we will finish what we've started. :-)

[@suzannehaigh4281]

I am so pleased that I came across this video. I knew Lady Joan (Lady Margaret) one of the last Fitzwilliams to inhabit Wentworth, and so have for a long time had a fascination for the house, its history is very interesting. I found a book on the Fitzwilliams and how they lost Wentworth, quite easy to find in charity shops or ebay, I think it is called Black Gold.

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

So pleased that you enjoyed the video! The book you mention is by Catherine Bailey and it's called Black Diamonds. It's a fascinating account of the 20th Century history of Wentworth Woodhouse and the family who lived there.

[@stephenburns3678]

Your videos are always fresh with new content and approaches to preservation. Thank you and best wishes.

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

Thank you very much!

[@Sushi2735]

WOW! So nice to see the Powerwash out front! Just stunning! Cold, but stunning ! Every time I visited the UK, I was cold! No one does wallpaper like the French! ❤ Except for the poisonous paint !😅

[@suzannehaigh4281]

You should have been here recently, very, very hot and suffocating, hopefully I think it has ended now with the storms we had this evening.

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

We should be releasing another film about the historic wallpapers at Wentworth Woodhouse in the coming weeks. No poisons in these ones though! :-)

[@tydanum]

Thank you, very interesting, such a lot of history and so pleased they are able to rescue such a wonderful building 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🇬🇧

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

Thank you so much!

[@quickclipsbyjmj]

Clever title. 😉

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

Thank you!

[@joanellemulrain2454]

Excellent - thank you for sharing!

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

Many thanks!

[@dan13ljks0n]

Very beautiful and interesting, though I couldn't help but notice just how much the second speaker sounded like Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter! I can't imagine how difficult it will be to remove that green wallpaper and keep it intact for conservation!

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

It may be that we don't need to remove it now that the consolidation works have been completed. We're just awaiting the final conservators report and that will contain suggestions on what the next steps should be.

[@robertgraham1088]

Very interesting thank you

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@LJB103]

Beautiful wallpaper; I especially love the Blue Chinese paper. My question for a house this old is "How much arsenic is in the plaster itself?"

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

Glad you liked the video. We'll see if we can find out the answer to your question.

[@LJB103]

@@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse When Clare Booth Luce was the US Ambassador to Italy she was being poisoned It turned out to be the arsenic in the fine plaster dust from the ceiling that got onto her food when she ate at her desk. This is what prompted my question.

[@StefanOlson]

Very interesting!

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

Thank you.

[@tjbren576]

The details and chemical makeup of the wall decoration is VERY interesting! I wonder how many people's health suffered while enjoying it...!

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

It's a good point and it's one of the reasons that we undertook the analysis. The conservators were all wearing protective clothing whilst the restorations took place and the condition of the wallpaper is now considered stable. We have another video in production about some of the other historic wallpapers at Wentworth Woodhouse which should be released later this year. No arsenic in any of these though!

[@davidpankratz142]

Ooh la la 👀

[@kevinjewell233]

Could airtight glass be placed over the fragile walls and keep them safe and the air pure???

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

That's one possibility but we need to get the humidity in the room under control first.

[@jasminespencer3992]

What color with the façade and columns have been when it was first built? Would they have been bright white?

[@OfficialWentworthWoodhouse]

When originally built, it's likely that the columns and the man facade would have been a creamy grey colour. The new stonework that we've used for the repair works that have been undertaken are close geological matches to the original. When built, the House used stone from several different quarries, so there would have been some colour variation across the facade when it was new.

[@perfectbrunnetdoll]

mm yes this arsenic green will go well with this MUMMY BROWN

[@DJ-xx8hd]

Do we REALLY need the background music?

[@Miss_Toots]

Please don't have an American narrator, we are proud this is English

[@lisawentworth6831]

Allow me to introduce myself...I am Lisa Wentworth. Not only am I professional actor and voice over artist, but I am a blood descendant of the house. I can trace my ancestry back to 1275 to Wentworth Woodhouse. You live in a melting pot; many British are not English at all; I can say my DNA is, and I am proud of my Yorkshire roots. If one knows their history, a large branch of the Wentworth family moved to the States to seek fame and fortune after the dispute from the Wentworth Castle branch, and as mentioned in our bonfire video, records were burned to not allow my blood family but rather non-blood family by marriage, who used the name Wentworth. Plus, we have an international audience, and as I have a 'radio announcer' voice, it is easy to understand as I have taken many lessons in diction. You have to realize that many outside this region cannot understand a Northern accent. This is my history, and I am proud of it. I could feign a posh British accent is you prefer, and may start doing because I get asked about my accent so often every day, but I cannot fake a Yorkshire dialect to save my life! I moved 8,000 miles to be closer to my roots, and one does not gain a natural local accent unless they are under the age of 15, so if I put one on to make others happy, it would not be real...

[@WeWander2]

No removing them. Feed the poor