National Trust completes spring clean at Mr Straw’s House in Worksop

Experts spent four months working on the collections at Mr Straw’s House, the family home on Blyth Grove which has been preserved in immaculate period condition since the 1920s.

Despite being one of the National Trust’s smallest properties, it houses one of the biggest collections in the charity’s care, and presents unique challenges for staff working to maintain it.

General manager Beth Dawson said: “Each property has its own story to tell, and it’s our job to ensure it can be told for generations to come.

“Buildings that aren’t properly maintained require far more money and time spent repairing them down the line.”

Many of the objects in the house help to tell the story of the families who lived there during the First World War and after, and much of the catalogue is now viewable on the National Trust website.

The house is dusted and vacuumed every day to ready it for visitors, with the steward also checking temperature monitors, winding clocks, and checking the pest traps.

Larger spring clean tasks at the house include emptying rooms to wax the floor, cleaning the carpets, doing inventory and checking the condition of both the collections and the building itself.

This year, the two pianos in the house have also undergone highly sensitive restorations, returning them to a playable condition.

National Trust properties across the region, including Clumber Park, Hardwick Hall and the Workhouse at Southwell, have also been subject to seasonal works, ready for their seasonal spike in visitor numbers over the spring and summer.

Beth said: “We have a unique range of buildings in our care – there’s no single period or style that we look after.

“Throughout history, architectural styles evolved to follow trends and to reflect shifting cultures. Our building surveyors work tirelessly to ensure that the properties in our care are kept in the best condition possible.”

Mr Straw’s House offers pre-booked guided tours between March and November.

For more details, see www.nationaltrust.org.uk or call 01909 482 380.