Each winter, Newhailes House is closed for essential care and maintenance. This year the work was markedly different, as Newhailes House spokesperson said: "In the last few years particularly, high levels of moth population have been detected in the house. Because of this, our conservation team has been working hard all winter on a special moth elimination project in an attempt to try to limit the numbers of these pesky fabric eaters!
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"One of the treatments we have been employing is freezing our precious collections. Our giant freezers run at very low temperatures (-30°C and below) and kill not just adult moths, but also their eggs and the larvae, which are actually responsible for the damage. All of the collections have been carefully examined before being meticulously wrapped and sealed for freezing. We have four floors of collection which amounts to over 1000 individual items!
"As this work will continue into the spring, we will be telling the fascinating story of the project as part of a historical tour of Newhailes House. This will include insights into the freezing process, shedding light on the various methods we use to deep clean the house, and talking about how we care for our precious collection. Some areas normally on the tour will be inaccessible during the ongoing work."
