Today the Victorian Eastern Steps in front of Knebworth House were being restored, whilst the main house looked on jealously! We have been able to tackle the Eastern Steps thanks to a grant from The Country Houses Foundation and some match funding from The Knebworth House Education and Preservation Trust. The grant had to be for a specific project, so the house itself was not eligible, but it is heartening to see progress in such a visible and prominent position.
If you have ten minutes, and the internet to hand, you may enjoy a piece of film I found this weekend from the mid-1980s. I have up loaded it on YouTube as “Knebworth House – preserving its fabric and legacy – 1985” – you should be able to find it by searching “Knebworth House Preservation” on the YouTube home page. It shows how much progress has been made since the birth of The Knebworth House Education and Preservation Trust charity at that time, but also how many of the issues remain unchanged 28 years later. It features my grandparents, Kim and Hermione, and those who knew them will enjoy seeing them. It also features some 1980s hair on yours truly that Conservation Officers, I imagine, would not suggest is restored to its original design!
Henry Lytton Cobbold
www.knebworthhouse.com