Work is underway in the undercroft!
We are currently using specialist conservation techniques to gently remove layers of modern paint that have obscured the hall’s original character for generations. This isn’t just a matter of maintenance; it is a meticulous journey back through the timeline of Soulton Hall.
Peeling Back the Centuries
Some of these areas have been hidden from view for over 470 years. As we carefully strip away the modern coatings, we are revealing the authentic Tudor fabric of the building—surfaces that haven’t seen the light of day since the mid-16th century.
To ensure we protect the integrity of the ancient, handmade bricks, we are avoiding harsh acids or abrasive pressure. Instead, we are using a patient, conservation-grade poultice method. This allows the “fire-skin” of the Tudor clay to remain intact, preserved exactly as it was when the builders first laid it.
A glimpse into the undercroft where a specialized conservation poultice is currently at work. Beneath the plastic wrap and the layers of modern blue paint, the original 16th-century bones of Soulton Hall are being gently coaxed back into the light. It is a slow, patient process of peeling back nearly 500 years of history, one section at a time.
Our Shared Heritage
We are thrilled to be peeling back the layers of time to share the raw, honest history of Soulton Hall with our visitors for the first time ever. There is something profoundly moving about seeing the “bones” of the building exposed—the thumbprints in the clay and the irregularities of the kilns—offering a direct, tactile connection to the people who shaped this landscape nearly half a millennium ago.
By opening these spaces that have been off-limits for centuries, we are providing a new window into the soul of this ancient house.
