Conservation at Hall's Croft

The daily care of Hall’s Croft involves taking preventive measures to maintain the collections and the house’s stable condition. For the preventive conservation team, this means the constant monitoring of potential agents of deterioration that could harm Hall’s Croft.

• See the efforts made to save Hall's Croft: Saving Hall's Croft

Perhaps surprisingly, one of the most dangerous threats to Hall’s Croft (and most persistent) is dust. Not only is dust visually unpleasant for visitors to the house, but if left untreated it could cause real damage to the collections. Insects, larva, and other biological hazards thrive where there are high levels of dust. The dust provides a food source and an ideal micro-climate for pests to lurk. Dust also has the potential to be chemically reactive, causing particular damage to metals through corrosion. The conservation team at Hall’s Croft works tirelessly to keep surfaces as dust free as possible in order to prevent any long-term damage. 

Even with spotless surfaces, pests and insects can find corners in which to flourish. Insects like the death-watch beetle, silverfish, and woolly bear larva can inflict serious damage to the property. They will eat away at historic books, fabrics, and even the wooden structure of the house. The conservation team is constantly monitoring the presence of pests using certain traps positioned discreetly around the property. Moth traps give off a mild hormonal scent to which the insects are attracted; they then become stuck on the sticky pad. Staff members regularly check the traps, and identify any potentially harmful creatures that might need to be treated with more extreme methods (such as freezing or chemical intervention).

Light levels and humidity are carefully monitored at Hall’s Croft. The conservation team need to be particularly mindful of LUX (visible light) and UV (ultraviolet light) exposure to the paintings, fabrics, books and all other collections at Hall's Croft. Hall’s Croft has more paintings on display than any other property. These artworks are very vulnerable to damage from light; but placing them where LUX levels are low and positioning the paintings away from natural light helps to protect them from damage.