Minerva's face revealed by trial removal of protective coatingSpecialists have begun trial restoration of some sections of the Lanscroon murals that once adorned the staircase in Broomfield House. If the trials are successful, it is hoped to exhibit sections of the murals at the Dugdale Centre next year.
Tom Organ, Matt Organ and Rita Radovanovich of Arte Conservation with the packing cases where the mural remains are storedConservators working for Arte Conservation Ltd started work on small fragments of the murals on Tuesday. Their first task is to determine the best method of removing the protective coating from the artworks without causing damage - the coating was put in place at the time the murals were removed from the house. They need to identify the best solvents for this purpose, then assess how long it might take to repair and restore larger sections.
A photograph posted to the Broomfield House and the Lanscroon Murals Facebook page shows the first results of their work: the coating has been stripped away to reveal the face of Minerva from a fragment of mural from the east wall of the entrance wall.
The Broomfield House Trust is funding this initial step, after which the Trust plans to seek further finance from the Heritage Lottery Fund. However, the longer term future of the remains of Broomfield Park's centrepiece house remains unclear. Whether or not it will be rebuilt, and if so in what form and where the money for the rebuilding will come from, all continue to be "known unknowns". However, the situation should become clearer before long, as council officers are due to present a report to Enfield's cabinet this autumn. More immediately, the Broomfield House Trust will be meeting the officers next week to discuss their thinking about Broomfield House.