Petworth House reopens to the public

A National Trust spokesman said the reopening is part of a phased approach to welcoming back visitors.

Petworth House will share the knowledge they gain with other National Trust houses and it is hoped that more will open in the coming weeks.

One-way systems and other measures have been put in place to ensure social distancing is adhered to and doors will be left open and hand sanitiser provided to mitigate the risk of contracting Covid-19

National Trust general manager for Petworth, Adam Hastie said: “Our visitors really bring the house and gardens to life. We're so glad to welcome them again, to see the treasures in the collection for the first time in four months.

"Safety is paramount; we have gone round the whole visitor route to make sure that it is safe as can be – so that our visitors are looked after, as well as our volunteers and staff.

"We are asking everyone to book in advance and follow a one way route through the house. Petworth House benefits from wonderfully large rooms and doorways, so it is well suited to social distancing.”

John Orna-Ornstein, the National Trust’s director of culture and engagement said: “It is just over 16 weeks since we closed all our houses back in March because of coronavirus and we

know people have been really keen to get back inside and see their favourite properties and collections once more.

"The lockdown has taught us how important it is for people to engage with our cultural heritage and connecting with cultural activities.

“Our houses are remarkable places, full of hidden corners and many packed with treasures – but that in itself can create the challenges for us to re-open and meet the guidance safely.

"It isn’t as simple as just taking the dust sheets off the furniture and opening the doors, our plans have involved working out how many people can be in a room safely, how long they might spend there, while trying to ensure as much as possible they can still enjoy their time with us.

“But it is right that we take a cautious approach, so we ask visitors to remain patient a little longer while we work through how best to make sure everyone who wants to visit is safe and enjoys themselves.”

The charity, which looks after 200 houses, has carefully selected the seven sites across England and Northern Ireland to reflect the challenges of opening a range of different types of

properties in the coming weeks and months.

On June 3, the organisation reopened gardens and parkland in England and Northern Ireland - and has since had over one million visits to its places for pre-booked visits.

The pilot will ensure that measures put in place enable people to explore and enjoy the properties safely. Visitors will need to book a ticket in advance that is valid for entry to the house and gardens but, due to limits on capacity, it may not be possible for everyone to access the house during their visit.

Although every effort is being made to enable access to places, some houses may not be able to open all of their rooms due to the measures being put in place.

Advance bookings are necessary to maintain safety while re-opening gradually. The same booking system will be used to allow access to the house and gardens on the same ticket.