Saving the Staircases: A Major Milestone Reached at Montacute House

Synergy is delighted to be providing Cost Consultancy on the National Trust project ‘Saving the Staircases’ at Montacute House. Our team busy working on this project have given exciting updates on it’s progress. 

A significant step has been, with the installation of the new structural steelwork in the South Staircase completing this month.

The project, which is focused on the conservation and structural repair of the house’s two main internal staircases, is one of the most complex heritage engineering programmes currently underway at the Grade I listed Elizabethan mansion. With scaffolding in the South Staircase recently removed, we can now see the results of months of careful conservation work.

Protecting a Remarkable Historic Building

The North and South Staircases at Montacute House have welcomed visitors for more than 400 years. However, they are constructed from locally sourced Hamstone – quarried less than 2 miles from the house – which is a relatively soft and porous limestone, making it particularly vulnerable to wear over time.

Centuries of foot traffic have gradually eroded the stone treads and caused wear to critical toggle and joggle joints within the staircases, increasing structural instability risk.

As a result, the South Staircase was closed in 2018, followed by the North Staircase in 2023. Without intervention, continued deterioration could ultimately have led to collapse.

Combining Traditional Craftsmanship and Modern Engineering

The conservation approach has been carefully developed to retain as much original historic fabric as possible while ensuring the staircases remain safe and stable.

A key element of the project is the installation of discreet structural steel supports beneath approximately 10% of the staircases. These hidden steel beams provide additional strength where it is most needed, allowing the original stonework to remain in place rather than being replaced.

The recently completed steelwork in the South Staircase demonstrates how modern engineering can work sensitively within a historic environment. The steel has been painted to blend seamlessly with the surrounding architecture, helping to preserve the staircase’s historic appearance and ensuring that the intervention remains largely invisible to visitors.

Due to the stone’s softness, the installation of the structural supports has required continual adaptation as unexpected conditions were uncovered. Tight tolerances, combined with natural movement within both the stone and mortar, made it particularly difficult to achieve the precision required when fixing brackets and positioning the steelwork.

Looking Ahead

With work on the South Staircase reaching this important milestone, attention has now turned to the North Staircase.

The Saving the Staircase project is expected to be completed in late 2026.

Once complete, the works will deliver long-term structural stability, safeguard original historic fabric, and enable the reopening of the upper floors and full visitor route through the house. Most importantly, the project will ensure that one of Somerset’s most celebrated architectural features can continue to tell its stories to visitors for generations to come.