Nine new busts installed at Grade I-listed house

A view of North Hall after the busts were installed

Nine newly commissioned busts have been installed in a grand reception room at a Georgian country house.

The classical sculptures were created as part of the restoration of North Hall at Grade I-listed Stowe House in Buckinghamshire.

The project to return the room to its original splendour took six years to complete and cost £75,000.

It was made possible thanks to the charity Stowe House Preservation Trust and two former Stowe School pupils.

The team from Cliveden Conservation carefully installed the busts including this one of Homer

Each bust — representing Roman emperors, notable figures from antiquity, and the goddess Juno — was carefully researched to ensure historical accuracy.

Working from surviving examples in collections across the UK, the conservation teams used a combination of 3D scanning, scaled printing, and traditional casting to recreate each piece.

The final finishes were hand-applied to mimic antique marble and bronze, ensuring the busts blend in with the hall's authentic 18th Century style.

René Rice from Cliveden Conservation said: "It has been a pleasure to work with Stowe House Preservation Trust on recreating these busts.

"Seeing them back in place completes the North Hall's decorative scheme and restores a key part of Stowe's history."

Queen Victoria's visit to Stowe House in 1845 was documented with an engraving, which depicted busts in the room

North Hall at Stowe House was first designed in the 1730s by William Kent.

The first phase of its restoration took place between 2015 and 2018, focusing on the conservation of Kent's gilded ceiling and original canvas paintings.

Progress was paused when researchers realised there were additional sculptures which used to adorn the room.

One former pupil of Stowe School (known as an Old Stoic) then offered to fund a single bust.

Six months later, another Old Stoic pledged to finance the remaining busts, which helped to complete the North Hall's decorative scheme.

The Stowe House Preservation Trust was founded in 1997 and is responsible for the restoration and maintenance of the building.

It is an independent charity separate from the National Trust and Stowe School.

The newly installed busts included Tiberius, Nero, Caracalla and Marcus Aurelius