Inspire - Portfolio Section
historical restoration
Uphill Restoration
In 1996, clients of Vanessa's bought Uphill Manor, a long neglected Victorian Gothic property in Somerset. The manor was originally built around 1803, however during the mid 1860's, the then owner Thomas Graves Knyfton had alterations made, employing the prestigious interior designer, John Gregory Crace. J G worked with Pugin and he and his son Dibblee created interiors for Queen Victoria and members of the aristorcacy. Uphill has one of the most intact Crace interior schemes in the country . Unfortunately, before the house was auctioned, there was a sale of contents and sadly the Pugin furniture was lost. However, the fabulous stencilled decoration remains intact and Vanessa was involved with restoring some of the areas that had been badly damaged by water.
