Clients

These are some of my main clients, with the historical recreations completed for them 

CADW: WELSH HISTORIC MONUMENTS

Plas Mawr, Conwy (1586/1667) 

  • Wall hangings and other textiles, 1996-7 

Blaenavon Ironworkers’ Cottages, Torfaen, South Wales [1790, 1841, 1944, 1926-67] 

  • PHASE 1 Devising, commissioning and implementing internal decoration and furnishing of 2 cottages [1 as 1790, 1 as c.1841] on Engine Row : 2006 

  • PHASE 2: Project designer and manager for further cottage and recreated interactive 'Company Shop', plus ambient sound and new audioposts, opened May 2008. 

  • PHASE 3: Refurnishing 1944 ‘Coal House’ cottages: March 2009 

  • PHASE 4: Complete redressing and redecorating cottages as in 1926/1944/1953/1967: March 2013 

Caerphilly Castle, South Wales [c.1275] 

  •       Full ‘interactive’ meal setting of 30 places for school parties: 2008 

Tretower Court, Powys [c.1465] 

  • Furnishing and decoration of West Range rooms: kitchen, service rooms, great hall Completed and opened, May 2010. 

Oxwich Castle: Gower, South Wales (c.1580) 

  • Complete re-presentation with 'interactive period rooms' and try-on costumes. Completed, April 2014. 

DENBIGHSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Nantclwyd House, Ruthin, Denbighshire (c.1435—c.1942) 

Projector co-ordinator and historical interiors/interpretation director for major multi-period restoration and recreation of the oldest timber-framed town house in Wales, including period rooms of 1435/1620/1690/1730/1881/1916 and 1942: 2004-2007 

Main house opened, June 2007 

ENGLISH HERITAGE

Fictive bed, Kirby Hall, Northamptonshire [1619] 

Research and consultancy leading to specification of fictive four poster bed, based on Kirby Hall inventories, for interactive exhibition. 2021 

HEREFORDSHIRE MUSEUMS SERVICE

Black and White House Museum, Hereford [c.1642] 

Complete re-interpretation, furnishing and equipment of the Black and White House, Hereford, built 1621. Included period furnishing of all rooms, new interpretation panels and interactives, dressing-up costumes, videos and new guidebook. 2016-17  

THE NATIONAL TRUST

The Tudor Merchants House, Tenby [c.1500] 

Furnishing and decoration of ground floor rooms as in c.1500. Opened February 2011. First floor rooms, completed and opened February 2012. Second floor rooms 2013-5. 

Wool and Wood at Fountains Abbey [c.1500] 

Late mediaeval-style working furniture and wool-related equipment, including spinning wheel. For the Swanley Grange Learning Rooms. Opened February 2016 

NORFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL

Ancient House Museum, Thetford, Norfolk [c.1601 and 1901] 

Historical foods and furnishings consultant. Recreation of hall and meal, 1601: advice on recreation of kitchen, as 1901: 2005-6 

NORFOLK MUSEUMS SERVICE

Strangers Hall, Norwich [16th-17th centuries] 

Historic interiors for four rooms, c.1590; c.1665; c.1690: 2006-7 

PEMBROKE CASTLE TRUST

Pembroke Castle (c.1280) 

Researched, commissioned and supplied wall hangings, wall paintings and timber furnishings for dining display in gatehouse chamber: 2000 

POWYS COUNTY COUNCIL

The Shire Hall and Judge’s Lodging, Presteigne, Powys (1826-70) 

Project director for the complete exterior and interior restoration and refurbishment of this combination of courtroom, Judge’s town house and Victorian administrative centre. Authentic recreation and furnishing of all 22 rooms (including courtroom, dining room, drawing room, bedrooms, and servants’quarters) and supervision of furniture restoration and acquisition. Also exhibitions and audiotour: 1995-7 

Llanidloes Old Market Hall: A Celebration of Timber-framed Buildings 

Permanent multi-media exhibition covering the history, building methods, materials, restoration and future of timber-framed buildings, especially in the Mid Wales borderlands. Bilingual English/Welsh. (2003) 

PROVINCE OF WEST FLANDERS, BELGIUM

Walraversijde Mediaeval Village, Raversijde, Ostend, Belgium (c.1465) 

Project director for rebuilding (on original site) and completely furnishing and equipping four brick, timber and thatched houses of c.1465. Designed houses using archaeological site evidence and contemporary records, and supervised all aspects of building. Furnished total of 14 rooms, recreating several thousand furnishings and artefacts, many based on finds from this important site. Also exhibition, audiotour and guidebook. (1998-2000.) 

ST.FAGANS NATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM, CARDIFF

Kennixton Farmhouse, St.Fagans 

Hangings for bed of c.1660: 1998 

SCOTTISH BORDERS COUNCIL

Old Gala House, Galashiels, Scottish Borders (1629) 

Complete table furnishings and textiles: 1999  

Mary Queen of Scots House, Jedburgh (c.1700) 

Equipment for kitchen: 2015 

SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHPLACE TRUST, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON

Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon –Avon (c.1590) 

Textiles including complete furnishings for all three beds: 1995-9  

SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE THEATRE, LONDON

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London (Elizabethan) 

Researched and supplied authentic textiles: 2000 

THE STORY OF EMILY, ST IVE near Liskeard, Cornwall

The Rectory, St Ive (c.1875): part of the Story of Emily interactive experience 

Identification and purchase of over 1000 Victorian antiques and equipment for thirty rooms and outbuildings at the Rectory (birthplace of Emily Hobhouse), specification of  interior and exterior decoration and supply of dressing-up costumes. 2022-24 

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDON

The Great Bed of Ware, British Galleries (c.1590) 

Researched, commissioned and oversaw production of complete textile refurnishing of bed, from bedcords and mattresses to blankets, hangings and coverlet. Also associated handling-sample exhibition: 1999-2001. 

YORK ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRUST

Barley Hall, York (1460-80) 

All furnishings and textiles for 8 rooms of a late Mediaeval timber-framed town house, including Great Hall, Parlour, Buttery, Pantry: 1992-5 

Get in touch

For an absolutely free, entirely no-obligation initial consultation. This could be by email, telephone, Zoom or similar, or in person (travel expenses due if applicable) Please outline as clearly as possible what you’d like to do. I’ve rarely refused a challenge, but if I can't help you, I'll say so. I'd be delighted to hear from you anyway. But please have a look at this website first.

Dr Charles Kightly F.S.A