About Me

Anthony Beech began working in the field of conservation and restoration as an apprentice at E & C Royall in Rutland, completing the City and Guilds 555 furniture studies course at the De Montfort University by 1988 and moving on to run the furniture department of E & C Royall in 1992.

In 1998 the desire to specialise further, led to the establishment of an independent furniture conservation workshop at Burghley House in Lincolnshire.In preparation for accreditation by Icon, Anthony completed the respected, Science for Conservators course, run by International Academic Projects, between 2006 and 2007. Icon accreditation as a furniture and woodwork specialist was achieved in 2007.

As the workshop developed, the opportuinty arrose to employ a small team of specialist, graduate conservators, providing services to many of the most important collections in the country.
The workshop was selected for the furniture conservation framework at the Palace of Westminster in 2011.

The workshop was approved for the conservation of furniture by the National Trust in 2015.
 
In 2016 the workshop was heavily involved in furniture and internal woodwork conservation as part of the Master Plan works at Chatsworth House.
 
The workshop went on to be appointed as a Furniture Conservation services supplier by Historic Royal Palaces in 2018 and worked on the project to conserve Queen Caroline’s State bed, working alongside staff in the textile conservation studio, on site at Hampton Court.
 
Anthony is currently Chair to the Furniture and wooden objects group within the Institute for Conservation.
 
Projects and experience.
Burghley House 1998 -2020
Conservation of objects from the furniture collection:
Conservation of the Blue Silk State Bed including elements by Mayhew and Ince C.1760 and earlier 17thC Cornice and Headboard.
Conservation of the Great Hall bookcases.
 
Chatsworth House 2010-2020
Conservation works to elements of the 17thC Cedar wood panelling and chapel gallery.
Conservation of historic furniture including state beds, Giltwood furniture and fine 18thC furniture.
 
 
 
English Heritage 2012-2020
Conservation of items of furniture from the collection At Audley End, Essex.
Conservation of items of furniture from the collection for Wrest Park, Bedfordshire.
In situ Conservation of 16thC Oak coffers, Castle Acre, Norfolk
 
 
The Sedgewick Museum, Cambridge University, 2011-2018
Conservation of 19thC Mahogany display cases for the Heritage lottery funded ‘Darwin exhibition’.
Conservation of objects for The Discoveries exhibition at No.2 Temple Place.
 
The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge 2008, 2009
Conservation of upholstered 17thC, 18thC and 19thC Seat furniture for display in the galleries.
 
The Herbert Gallery and Museum 2009
Conservation of the 19thC Parquetry table created by industrialist William Gutteridge for display.
 
Belvoir Castle 2010- 2020
Conservation of objects from the furniture collection, including:
Conservation of 19thC Pugin design refectory tables,
Conservation of 18thC State dining table by Gillows of Lancaster.
2000-2014
Remedial conservation to the A.C.Boulle bureau plat 2016.
 
Newstead Abbey 2010
Conservation of a water damaged 19thC Japanned desk, once the property of Lord Byron
Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire
 
Loseley Park 2010
Conservation of the Gilt wood George IV Coronation chair
Loseley Park, Guildford
 
Milton Hall 2011
Conservation of the early 18thC Red Silk damask bed, removal of the distorted and insecure 19thC foot posts and reinstatement of the tester in its original ceiling suspended form.
 
St Mary’s Church, Nantwich, 2012
Condition Survey and treatment proposal for the late 14thC carved Oak Gothic Choir Stalls
 
Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology, Cambridge university,
Cambridge 2012-2014
Conservation of 19thC Mahogany display cases for redisplay project.
 
 
Selby Abbey, Selby, Yorkshire 2014
Conservation report and advisory document regarding the historic font cover as part of the larger project to reconfigure the church interior.
 
Chatsworth House 2015-2020
Conservation of 17thC carved Limewood cravat by Grinling Gibbons.
Conservation of the furniture collection and interior woodwork.
Condition survey of the furniture collection.
Furniture conservation works as part of the Master Plan project.
 
The Palace of Westminster 2011-2020
Appointed to the Conservation framework, Furniture Conservation Specialism.
Conservation of historic furniture.
Conservation of internal historic panelling and architectural woodwork.
 
The Harley Gallery, Welbeck Abbey 2015-2020
Conservation of historic furniture for display in the extended gallery.
 
Welbeck Abbey 2015-2020
Conservation of the historic furniture collection.
 
Kelmarsh Hall 2014-2017
Conservation of the furniture collection and interior woodwork
 
St Luke’s Church, Kentish Town, London 2015
Conservation of Oak memorial triptych panels commemorating the fallen of WWII
Lauderdale House, Campden, London 2016
Conservation of the 17thC carved Oak cabinet known as “Nell Gwynn’s Bath”, Lottery funded program including research of historic context and significance
 
The National Trust 2015
Approved for work on furniture collections by NT furniture conservation advisor, John Hartley of Tankerdale Conservation and Helen Lloyd, NT National specialist Consultancy Manager.
 
The National Trust 2016-2020
Conservation of furniture, internal woodwork and historic external doors.
Including the collections at Oxburgh Hall, Melford Hall, Shaws Corner, Ickworth and Wimpole Hall
 
Harewood House, Yorkshire, 2017
18thC Thomas Chippendale window seat prepared for the Chippendale 300 exhibition.
 
Bowhill House, Scotland 2017 (Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust).
Conservation and reinstatement of gilded window pelmets.
 
Stowe House Preservation Trust 2018
Conservation of period internal doors.
 
St Clements Church, Outwell 2018
Conservation of the 18thC Muniments chest
 
Oakham Museum 2018
Conservation of 12thC Muniments Chest
 
Durham Cathedral 2019
Conservation assessment of the 12thC Sanctuary doors and Monks’ door.
 
Woburn Abbey, Bedford, 2018 - 2019
Conservation of items from the furniture collection.
 
Boughton House, Kettering (Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust) 2019.
Conservation of water damaged Marquetry table.
 
Hampton Court Palace (Historic Royal Palaces) 2019-2020
Conservation of the frame, headboard and decorative cornices of Queen Charlottes State Bed, working alongside the in-house textile conservation team.