A Nottinghamshire attraction that's a far cry from the National Trust's usual stately homes will feature in a series about some of the country's 'hidden treasures'. The episode shows the intricate details that go into preserving Mr Straw's House exactly the way he left it. A time capsule of 1920s life, the semi-detached property in Blyth Grove, in Worksop , was the family home of grocer William and Florence Straw.
After they died their eldest son William Jr inherited the house, known as Endcliffe Villa, in 1939. He kept the old-fashioned house and its contents as they were, leaving the house to the National Trust when he died in 1990. The 30,000 everyday objects, from tins of sardines to an old packet of Players Navy Cut cigarettes, prove a constant "conservation headache" for volunteers.
They take photos before removing them to dust so they can return everything to its rightful place. Get the latest What's On news straight to your phone by joining us on WhatsApp Danielle Lander-Brown, senior collections and house officer, says good morning to William and Florence when she walks into the house, as it feels like quite a personal space. She said it's very much like a family member could walk back in at any time.
"It makes it more authentic. People connect more to it, knowing that it's not contrived." William's bedroom has recently been closed to the public.
What started off as the small job of stripping off damaged plaster where damp had seeped through turned into a worse probl.
