At our most recent meeting we welcomed ex Fire Chief, Ken Lloyd who was on duty at one of the most devastating fires at a National Trust property in our region. He hosted the most fascinating talk which went a little bit like this:
On the afternoon of 30th August 1989, work was nearing completion on the new roof, and Uppark House in South Harting, near Petersfield had been shrouded in scaffolding for more than a year. The National Trust was looking forward to a grand reopening, but sadly this was not to be... It was the last day in a long schedule of works, and workmen were applying the finishing touches to the roof. During their tea break they noticed smoke but, unable to contain what quickly became a blaze, the fire alarms sounded at 3:36pm. Fifteen minutes later, the first fire engine arrived, joined by another four within half an hour. At its peak, 27 fire engines and 156 firefighters from three counties tackled the blaze.
Finding enough water is such a remote location was problematic for Ken - hoses were laid as far as Harting village and the water from a nearby swimming pool and lake were also used. But by 5pm the first floor was engulfed by flames. As the fire was so far advanced, Ken made a key decision to concentrate on rescuing the building's contents. This saw human chains of staff, volunteers, and even members of the public help carry priceless treasures out through the windows and away from danger. Tragically the fire's rapid progress meant that some rooms had to be abandoned, leaving their contents to be destroyed.
Firefighters pulled down intricately woven curtains in one piece, and tore irreplaceable wallpaper from the walls in huge strips as last-ditch attempts to save them.
Slag heaps of charred remains and wet sludge were carefully allocated to a grid system, before being shovelled into some 3,860 labelled dustbins. This careful cataloguing allowed even the tiniest fragments to be identified and eventually reunited.
Efforts to contain the fire and salvage as much as possible continued long into the night, but dawn sadly revealed the extent of the devastation. Uppark was a smouldering carcass filled with rubble, through which teams of conservators would later begin digging and sifting. But not until the fire service had officially declared the fire out - after four and a half days of damping down.
As more than 12,000 fragments were being painstakingly plucked from the remains, opinions were forming about Uppark's future. While some lobbied for demolition, others argued for a more modern reinterpretation. But to those working on site, it was clear more had survived than thought possible. With the Trust's insurance geared towards reinstatement, in October 1989 the decision was taken to restore Uppark to its previous state "in so far as that is practicable." That set in motion a six-year project that saw more than 4,300 architect's instructions and the contributions of more than a thousand skilled craftsmen and women who pieced together countless fragments of carved woodwork, ceiling plaster, glass and metalwork.
In June 1995, Uppark finally re-opened to the public. The restoration was the largest and most ambitious project ever undertaken by the trust... many of us Bombshells had no idea this beautiful old house full of treasures was so close to us, let alone so nearly destroyed. Once restrictions are lifted lots of us Bombshells will be planning a visit for sure.
Join us at our next meeting for an introduction to Tarot card reading.
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