Stitch in time for Arundel Castle’s new season

Scaffolding was erected on the upper level of the Victorian hall for the painstaking work on the Gobelin tapestry, measuring 6.6 by 4.2 metres (22 by 14ft).

Castle staff also took advantage of the scaffolding to clean the heraldic stained glass windows of the hall’s north gable, for the first time in half a century.

The tasks are just a few of those being carried out while the historic pile is being prepared for the new season, opening on March 28.

Other jobs include hand polishing 27 gunmetal radiators, applying 50 tins of beeswax to shine up 300 square metres of oak panelling, individually dusting down each of the 10,000 library books, winding up 27 clocks and, in the gardens and grounds, planting a record 52,000 more bulbs.

Castle manager Bryan McDonald said: “Our excellent staff all work exceptionally hard at this time of the year, making sure that every nook and cranny of the castle is cleaned and in tip-top condition.”