LONDON, UK.- Danson House, once the most important building on the Buildings At Risk Register for London, has been saved by a £4 million English Heritage restoration programme. The magnificent Palladian villa in Bexley, South London, has been restored back to its former 18 th century splendour, complete with a full cycle of Georgian wall paintings in their original setting. The house opened to the public on Good Friday, 25 March 2005, under the management of the Bexley Heritage Trust.

By the early 1990s the fine grade I listed Georgian mansion had no foreseeable future and faced demolition after years of vacancy and architectural theft. When no one else could save the building, English Heritage stepped in. Following emergency conservation work to make the building structurally sound, the exuberant paintings have been restored, the historic interiors returned to their 1760s colour schemes, intricate gilding and plasterwork has been repaired and the ornate mirrors and fireplaces returned.

Sir Neil Cossons, Chairman of English Heritage, said: “We were determined that Danson House and its exceptional wall paintings should be saved for the public and we are delighted to have achieved this. Visitors can now experience the rich colours of the artwork and the luxurious interiors just as the first owners did in 1766. We thought it inconceivable that a building as fine as this could be lost forever and are proud that together with the Bexley Heritage Trust we have brought this jewel of England’s heritage back to life.”

Though still a popular landmark with local people, Danson house had been derelict with holes in the roof and subsiding upper floors. It had last been inhabited in 1923 and had suffered partial demolition and the theft of its fine fireplaces and mouldings under a leaseholder in the 1980s. Severe dry rot meant the valuable set of canvas-backed wall paintings and the library organ had to be removed for safe-keeping.

Dramatic Recovery - The process of restoring the original interior scheme was aided by the remarkable discovery of a set of seven detailed watercolours of the interiors and exterior of the house, painted by a former resident. The charming paintings by Sarah Jane Johnson, whose family lived in Danson for 60 years, captured the essence of the house in 1860 before any major refurbishment had taken place.

After repairing roof, floors, windows and masonry to make the building sound and dry, English Heritage used the watercolours to provide a crucial back-up to traditional research and analysis. Forensic conservation work began to piece together enough evidence to reverse the damage done to the house and bring to life its distant and fascinating Georgian past.

The Detective Work Takes Place - The stolen fireplaces were tracked down and discovered in a storage container waiting to be shipped to the West Indies . By referring to the watercolours, English Heritage could return each of them to the correct rooms. From tiny shreds of silk and paint, conservation specialists recreated the Georgian wall colours for the brilliant cream-coloured dining room, the deep copper-green of the library and the soft blue of the grand salon. Delicate trompe-l’oeil painted panels in the light well over the grand stairs were also discovered behind thick paint and restored.

In the dining room, faint outlines on the wall and retrieved scraps of original wood were used to re-create two huge recessed mirrors in gilded frames crowned with griffins. These had stood at each end of the room and had been ripped out by a later Victorian family.

In the octagonal salon, the starburst of golden plasterwork on the ceiling and the matching decorative work on the walls and door-surrounds were repaired and re-touched with gold leaf. A spectacular chandelier was re-created and hung, and wallpaper as close as possible to the original design was re-hung after experts traced and analysed the pattern of floral swags left as a faint impression on the plaster.

In pride of place in the library stands the pipe organ that the Bexley Heritage Trust has been delighted to be able to return from its safe-house. Following further detective work, English Heritage removed later modifications to the bookshelves, such as the glass fronted doors, and returned them to their original elegant 18 th century design.

The Wall Paintings – Danson's Crowning Glory - In the grand dining room English Heritage has expertly cleaned and restored the outstanding decorative wall paintings and the gilded plasterwork that frames them. The nearly full-size figure paintings of mythological characters alternate with floral panels and were painted in situ by French artist Charles Pavillon in 1766.

The floral panels seem to have been influenced by the royal tapestry workshops in Aix, the artist’s birthplace. Some species shown, such as wisteria and chrysanthemum and dahlia, were only recently discovered in 1750 which implies he had access to the latest botanical illustrations.

Danson house was built and decorated as its first owner John Boyd, a rich sugar merchant and lonely widower, was preparing to marry his young new love Catherine Chapone. The whole decoration of the sunny dining room is inspired by love and filled with meaning.

The wall paintings tell the romantic story of Pomona and the ageing Vertimus and around them in fruit, vines, birds and harvest scenes is a celebration of life, love, abundance, nature and marriage.

Opening Times - Danson House opened to the public on Good Friday, 25 March 2005 and will be open all Easter weekend until Monday 28 March. The house will open every Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday from 11am until 5pm (last admission at 4.15pm ) until Sunday 30 October. Adults £5, Senior Citizens £4.50, accompanied children free, Students and English Heritage members 25% discount on production of a student card or an EH membership card.