My Historic Interiors

principal recreated interiors and furnishings

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. For York Archaeological Trust, 1992-5 

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

Textiles including complete furnishings for all three beds, for Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, 1995-9

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 an audio tour. For Powys County Council, 1995-7

Winner: “Interpret Britain” Award 1998 and “Local Museum of the Year” 1999 

‘Top Ten British Museums and Galleries’ Period Living Magazine Award 2004-5: Sandford Prize for Heritage Education, 2005 

[Articles in 'Country Life', September 9, 1999, and 'World of Interiors', January 2012] 

Plas Mawr, Conwy (1586/1667)

Wall hangings and other textiles, for CADW, 1996-7 

Kennixton Farmhouse, St.Fagans

Hangings for bed of c.1660, for National Museum of Wales, 1998 

Old Gala House, Galashiels, Scottish Borders (1629)

Complete table furnishings and textiles, for Scottish Borders Council, 1999

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. For Provincial Government of West Flanders and Institute for the Flemish Archaeological Heritage, 1998-2000. 

The Great Bed of Ware, British Galleries, Victoria and Albert Museum (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. For the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1999-2001. 

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London (Elizabethan)

Researched and supplied authentic textiles. 2000. 

Pembroke Castle (c.1280)

Researched, commissioned, and supplied wall hangings, wall paintings and timber furnishings for dining display in gatehouse chamber. For Pembroke Castle Trust, 2000.

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. For Denbighshire County Council: 2004-2007 

Main house opened, June 2007 

Green Apple award for sustainable conservation, 2008 

First prize: RICS Wales Award for building conservation,  May 2008 

Civic Trust Commendation, 2009 

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. For Norfolk County Council, 2005-6 

Blaenavon Ironworkers’ Cottages [1790, 1841, 1944]

Devising, commissioning and implementing internal decoration and furnishing of 2 cottages [1 as 1790, 1 as c.1841] on Engine Row at Blaenavon Ironworks, S.Wales : first phase completed 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 1927/1944/1953/1967: March 2013 

For Cadw.

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

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

Caerphilly Castle, S.Wales [c.1275]

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

Tretower Court, Powys [c.1465]

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

Article in 'Country Life' February 2012 

The Tudor Merchants House, Tenby [c.1500]

Furnishing and decoration of ground floor and first floor rooms as in c.1500, with period-style retail shop. For the National Trust, 2010-13 

Tredegar House, Newport [c.1672 onwards]

Advising National Trust on interiors re-presentation, 2012 

Blaenavon Ironworks: Stack Square Cottages [1920s/40s/50s/60s]

Setting of interiors of four cottages as they may have appeared respectively in c.1927; 1944; 1954; 1967. Completed April 2013 as sub-contractor to Bright 3d, for Cadw. 

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

Complete re-presentation with 'interactive period rooms' and try-on costumes, for Cadw 2013-4. 

Swanley Grange, Fountains Abbey (c.1500)

Commissioning and providing furniture, chests, baskets and demonstration items for Schools Interactives on the wool trade, for the National Trust, 2015-16 

The Old House (Black and White House Museum), Hereford

Recreation of four rooms as they might have appeared in c.1640, including replica furnishings, wall hangings, painted cloths, 'interactive' beds  and display and try-on costumes. Also commissioned and designed new graphic panels, interpretative room sheets and new guide book. 

For Herefordshire Museum Service, 2016-7 

The Rectory, St Ive, Cornwall [Birthplace of Emily Hobhouse]

Researching, advising on and antiques buying for the complete furnishing and decoration of a restored rectory and outbuildings, as in 1875. 

For Emily Estate, 2022-24

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