Newsletter 2
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Patrons: Monty Don and Kim Wilkie Newsletter number 2, September 2016 Some words from our Anthony Beckles Willson, B.Arch, MCD, Chairman ARIBA, FSA ur second newsletter begins with the 1928-2016 Onews of the death of Tony Beckles Willson whose vision was responsible for the ony Beckles Willson pursued a successful career as an architect, creation of the Trust and for the ambition to Tbut, having retired in 1984, he developed an interest in Alexander preserve and restore the grotto. Robert Pope. Over the next several years, having readily mastered computer Youngs has written the adjoining piece which technology and the internet, he researched Pope’s life, his friends, his sets out the story of Tony’s involvement and literary works, his grotto and his villa. I simply need to underline the scale of the loss His research resulted, inter alia, in his four published books on Pope: which we are feeling at the moment and the “Alexander Pope’s Grotto in Twickenham”, “Mr Pope & sadness that Tony will not be able to see the Others at Cross Deep”, “Mastiffs & Minerals in culmination of his work. the life of Alexander Pope” and “Alexander Angela Kidner describes the current state of Pope’s Twickenham, 1719-44”. All these our progress and it has been greatly encouraging books describe aspects of the Bard of to see the restoration of the gates to the grotto Twickenham’s life and achievements and the repairs to the statues (page 2). The main from a local perspective - in this chambers of the Grotto remain to be conserved respect they are complementary to the and we are beginning detailed research and corpus of most published material on Pope. He planning to allow this to be completed in the employed his skill as a draftsman, acquired as a most professional and cost-effective way. practising architect, to illustrate the books with maps and plans. Together I am pleased to announce the appointment of with his meticulous research and a sharp eye for design and layout, they are two new Trustees. Judith Hawley, Professor of almost entirely the work of one man and are widely appreciated by scholars Eighteenth Century Literature at Royal and the general public worldwide. Holloway will bring an important academic His other publications include the definitive history of the Strawberry dimension to our discussions; she has already Hill area, a history of Sion Row, Twickenham, the guide book to St Mary’s contributed to our recent symposium. Local Church and a catalogue of the monuments therein. resident Geoff Pope, a former member of the In 1996, Tony became concerned that Pope's Grotto, after 250 years of London Assembly and Mayor of Richmond- neglect, should be conserved and made available to the public. He persuaded upon-Thames, will bring his local knowledge the owners, St James Independent School, to open it to the public for one and interest in his namesake to the table. day. The response was overwhelming - at one point an estimated 600 people Once again, my main message has to be were queuing to get in. As a result, the Grotto was opened in June each year; about the need to sustain our fund-raising effort. donations were accepted; books were sold; money was raised; a conservation Any donations at this time in memory of Tony plan was commissioned and a Trust was established to manage a from those of you who remember him would be particularly appreciated and so recorded. We conservation project. In all these enterprises, Tony was enthusiastic and have a scheme in place that enables the encouraging. Today, the Trust continues to follow the path laid out by Tony sponsorship of the restoration and cleaning of 20 years ago. particular minerals and other features in the Tony was instrumental in bringing a local history museum to grotto; please let us know if you would like to Twickenham. The museum, which finally opened in 2001, was the result of join in with it and we will let you have the the hard work and persistence of Tony and other local people. Once again, details. Otherwise I would encourage you to use he deployed his architectural skills, this time to convert a domestic house our website to make donations when we can into a space appropriate for a museum. Tony saw the need to make our rich reclaim gift aid readily. local history available to a wider public. Thus was the Museum’s popular I hope you will enjoy reading this newsletter. and award-winning website born, with its hundreds of articles on local Thank you for your continued interest and people, places, events - many of which were researched and written by Tony. support. It is undoubtedly true that it is because of Tony’s scholarship, enthusiasm and persistence that we are on the threshold of the first conservation of the David Cornwell, Chairman, Pope’s Grotto only physical manifestation of early 18th century England’s most important Preservation Trust literary figure. He will be greatly missed by all those who worked with him. Page 1 www.popesgrotto.org.uk Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust Newsletter number 2,September 2016 Project Report There’s been a period of intense activity since our last newsletter. Angela Kidner reports. Conservation Strawberry Hill House Trust), Philip Jenkins (Clare Hall, University of Cambridge) and Joseph and Ida Rosenblum onservation of the statuary and carved elements in the (University of North Carolina, Greensboro). grotto took place in July. Funded by Historic C A visit by Mary Wellesley, Inigo Thomas, and Katherine England, conservators Humphries and Jones cleaned and Rundell from the prestigious London Review of Books restored the statues of the Virgin and St James, and the inspired Mary to write this article: many embedded plaster and marble carvings of animals and other figures, for which some of our supporters have http://tinyurl.com/LRBWellesley pledged donations. The project was This month, John Henry and Chris Duffin supervised by Odgers Conservation, and of the Geological Society of London’s History the discoveries made in the course of the of Geology Group visited. Their scrutiny of work have changed our approach to the the minerals provided some very valuable conservation of the grotto itself. insights and the possibility of some We now plan to undertake the conservation collaborative work which will add of one of the chambers to a high level, to immeasurably to the conservation process. demonstrate our aims for the whole project, We hope to have a visit by members of the and in so doing to resolve questions about the Society later in the Autumn. appropriate methods for securing and cleaning the many different minerals, treatment of the Fundraising floor and lighting. The research will be carried We will be meeting with the Heritage out during 2016, with the conservation work Lottery Funding October to discuss our starting in the summer of 2017, subject to proposed two-stage approach to the funding. conservation, which has the support of At the same time, the 18th century gates Historic England. were removed by Newton Forge, for Cleaning the Virgin Mary The project raises exceptional and unusual conservation at their Dorset works, and challenges, which have made grants from reinstated in late August. The many layers of conventional funders difficult to find: paint were analysed and it was discovered that • The location of the grotto beneath the the original colour was a very dark green - in school, limiting public access to weekends common with other contemporary sites - and and school holidays not the white that had been applied • The 20th century arts block has resulted in subsequently. Following confirmation by the loss of the context of the grotto with its Historic England, a modern equivalent will be river frontage applied. This project is funded by Heritage of • The integrity of the grotto to the school London Trust and the Ironmongers' Company. means that a lease cannot be provided to the Pope's Grotto Preservation Trust Virtual Reconstruction The Trust and School are addressing these Our volunteer-led research project is now challenges in several ways: underway. The objective of the research is to • By creating activities to bring Alexander provide the authentic detail needed for the Pope alive taking place in other sites locally digital reconstruction of Twickenham, the and in London (see ‘A Search for Perfection’ river, Pope’s Villa and his garden at about Cutting through the gate on page 3) 1740. attachments • By developing the virtual reconstruction, Led by Professor Paul Richens of which will not only show how Twickenham Westminster University and Professor Marion and Pope’s Villa looked in 1740, but will Harney of Bath University, 12 local volunteers recreate his lost gardens and the natural are researching contemporary images of boats, landscape he devised. As well as enhancing wharves, buildings, horses, carriages, trees, the visitor experience at the grotto, this will be flora and fauna, gardens, statuary, costumes - available through the Internet to a world-wide the whole panoply of Georgian life. The iconic audience view of the Middlesex bank of the Thames • By working with the school to keep our between Twickenham and Radnor Gardens by costs to a minimum, devoting volunteer time Peter Tillemans (http://tinyurl.com/Tillemans) to all aspects of the project, maximising the will the basis for the reconstruction of the funds available to the conservation project houses on the river. None of this would be possible without the open and welcoming attitude of Radnor Visitors to the grotto House School, its head Rosie Gill and her staff. In addition to the several hundred visitors The Trust is enormously grateful for the during Twickenham Week, the Trust has been donations made by followers of the project, welcoming individual visitors to the grotto: The gates restored, but not yet re- and welcomes donations of any size, as well as Mr and Mrs Fitzwaters (USA, patrons of the painted offers of volunteering help.