The Country House Podcast

Geoffrey Heath-Taylor co-hosts the wonderful podcast series The Country House Podcast, alongside his co-host Rory Fraser. Here they discuss all things country houses, shining a light on the profiles of these estates, not only as aesthetic assets to the British countryside, but also as important historical monuments and essential parts of our national heritage and identity.

Over the summer, Geoffrey visited Burton Constable Hall to learn more about their collection and the important conservation work that they do.

Burton Constable Hall

Burton Constable Hall has been the ancestral home of the Constable family for over 700 years. Today, this magnificent Elizabethan mansion and its surrounding parkland are owned and managed by the Burton Constable Foundation, a charity dedicated to safeguarding the Hall and its collections for future generations. Through its work, the Foundation preserves a diverse array of objects that reflect centuries of collecting by the Constable family.

Now an accredited museum, Burton Constable Hall offers visitors access to 30 of its 100 rooms. Within these rooms, the museum cares for an extensive collection of 13,121 items, many of which hold local, regional, and national significance.

One of the most celebrated highlights of the collection is William Constable’s (1721–1791) extraordinary Cabinet of Curiosities. Showcasing William’s deep fascination with Natural History and his pioneering interest in Science and Technology, this Cabinet is now regarded as the most significant surviving collection of its kind in any English country house.

Caring for the Collection

In recent years, structural issues in the room housing the Cabinet of Curiosities presented a major challenge – but also a unique opportunity. The need to relocate the collection gave the team at Burton Constable the chance to completely rethink how they present these remarkable objects to the public.

They moved the collection to a previously undeveloped part of the Hall, adjacent to William Constable’s original study. This relocation transformed both the display and the visitor experience. Objects that were once stored away in cupboards are now showcased prominently in beautifully designed museum cases. The new space also features detailed interpretation panels, providing visitors with historical and contextual information to deepen their understanding of the collection.

Recognising the importance of inspiring younger audiences, they have created a dedicated children’s engagement area. This interactive space offers fun, educational activities that encourage exploration and discovery, making the collection accessible to families and school groups. The newly designed Cabinet of Curiosities exhibition is set to open for the upcoming visitor season this spring.

Another key achievement of this project has been the complete digitisation of the Cabinet of Curiosities. With the help of dedicated volunteers, all 850 objects in the collection have been photographed and researched to update and enhance the collection records. These high-quality images and detailed records are now available to the public through the new Collections Online page on the Burton Constable Hall website.

This digital access ensures that researchers, students, and history enthusiasts worldwide can engage with the collection in ways that were previously impossible. Volunteers and subject experts have also contributed articles on key objects, enriching the estate's online presence and expanding the reach of the museum beyond its physical walls. Their long-term goal is to continue adding new research and objects to this platform, creating a growing resource for everyone interested in history, science, and heritage.

Through this project, they have demonstrated innovation, resilience, and dedication to the preservation of the history of this property, not only protecting the collection but also enhancing how it is displayed and interpreted. By combining physical and digital access, the Cabinet of Curiosities is now more engaging and accessible than ever before.

The winner of this year's award will be announced this November. Stay tuned as we announce other shortlist contenders over the next few weeks.