The repair and conservation of Vita’s Writing Room at Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent
Abstract
In August 2021, a steward heard a crash from the first floor of the Grade I listed tower at Sissinghurst Castle Garden. Upon investigation, they found that part of the ceiling plaster over Vita Sackville West’s writing desk had detached itself from the laths, resulting in a large fragment falling, narrowly missing the desk. The surrounding area was covered in a fine layer of dust. However, no damage was sustained to the collection. This paper uses the Writing Room project as a critical vehicle to explore issues associated with earthen mortar ceilings, and the implications of using inappropriate materials. It analyses the technical and practical challenges faced during the conservation repair of a 16th-century ceiling, the opportunities to discover previous layers of history, and how these can be used to provide a new historic narrative to a significant room. The paper demonstrates the benefits of establishing the evidential value through investigative survey, research and chemical analysis in assisting with determining an approach for the conservation and stabilisation of the fabric. The paper will be of particular interest to anyone working on historic plastered ceilings where there has been a history of inappropriate repairs. It offers technical guidance on the use of modern methods to maximise the preservation and retention of historic fabric while utilising traditional materials and techniques to reinstate a previous decorative scheme and repair a ceiling using earth mortar materials. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
James Kenton BA Hons Dip Arch MA RIBA SCA is a Senior Architect at the National Trust based in the London and South East region. James is a RIBA Specialist Conservation accredited architect and is responsible for looking after some of Kent’s most beloved buildings, including Chartwell, Ightham Mote and Sissinghurst Castle Garden. Previously, he has looked after the Bodiam Castle and Batemans portfolio in East Sussex. James’ role as a consultant to the National Trust is to advise property managers on the care, repair and adaption of historic buildings as well as larger capital expenditure projects. His most recent projects include the stabilisation of Chartwell’s kitchen garden walls built by Sir Winston Churchill and stonework conservation to the Grade I listed Darnley Mausoleum designed by architect James Wyatt at Cobham. James studied architecture at the University of Portsmouth before completing his qualifications and starting his career in various practices in Kent. Here he developed his interests in conservation, building a portfolio of his own clients and working on several significant listed buildings, including the full-scale repair of a medieval hall house. James is an approved inspecting architect for the Church of England in the diocese of Canterbury, Rochester and Chichester and was previously responsible for the management of over 30 churches. He has given several talks on the Writing Room at Sissinghurst, including to the RIBA South Conservation Group, and it was featured in Series 1 of ‘Hidden Treasures of the National Trust’ on BBC Two. James has developed a particular interest in the adaption of historic buildings and most recently gave a presentation at the IHBC London conference A Walk on the Wild Side on managing loss of heritage in the face of climate change.
Citation
Kenton, James (2025, September 1). The repair and conservation of Vita’s Writing Room at Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent. In the Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal & Valuation, Volume 14, Issue 2. https://doi.org/10.69554/ROYE2857.
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