Gillows Wardrobe

In 2017, a beautiful Grade II Lakeland house suffered a catastrophic fire. Much of the interiors were damaged through the combination of fire and the subsequent water used to extinguish the fire, and further physical destruction caused by the collapsing roof.

One of the many pieces rescued and returned to life by Wynn Griffiths and Tarr was this beautiful wardrobe, made by Gillows for Lord Ashton (James Williamson) of Lancaster completed in 1884, for use at Ryelands House. The main cause for damage to this piece was water. The first priority was to dismantle the wardrobe, and remove from the property into a well-ventilated space to carefully dry it out. After a couple of months, the furniture was moved into the store of Wynn Griffiths and Tarr, where further controlled drying and observation was needed prior to work starting.

The work carried out on the wardrobe was initially to re-glue loose and detached mouldings and lifted veneer. Amazingly, much of the original polish had survived so this was revived, with a few sections requiring a re-polish. The cupboards were lined in striped fabric and two years later, following completion of the work on the house, the wardrobe was returned, along with the 20 other items lovingly restored to the delight of the customers.