Gallery shows 'staggering' carvings for first time

A gallery described as the most decorative in Europe has been repaired and restored by conservators after six months of work.

The 82ft (25m) long Oak Gallery at The Vyne in Hampshire is now displayed free of furniture and paintings for the first time in centuries.

The gallery, now open to visitors, is covered from floor to ceiling in more than 400 finely carved heraldic panels.

Dominique Shembry, the National Trust collections and house manager, said: "The history contained in this space is staggering."

Henry VIII visited The Vyne three times between 1509 and 1535, accompanied by Catherine of Aragon and later Anne Boleyn.

It was owned by William Sandys, who became Henry VIII's Lord Chamberlain in 1526, and he created the Oak Gallery to show his powerful connections.

Portraits and furniture that have dressed the gallery for nearly 200 years have been moved to show off the intricate carvings.

Emblems previously hidden from view include that of Sir Thomas More, who Henry made Lord Chancellor in 1529.

Ms Shembry said the galley was "full of drama as well as beauty" and "it must have wowed everyone who saw it, including the King".

Specialist conservators stabilised the panels, repaired cracks and woodworm damage and re-grained the paneling to enhance the historic wood grain effect.

Tree ring data was used to date the timber to 1519 when construction on the Oak Gallery began, the wood was identified as Baltic oak from Lithuania.

National Trust Senior National Conservator Loredana Mannina said the galley was a "remarkable example of Tudor craftsmanship".

She said the conservation project had "not only helped protect its intricate decorative scheme" but "unveiled new insights into its history, construction, and past alterations".

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