Go behind the scenes at stately home

ENGLISH Heritage property Audley End House and Gardens, near Saffron Walden, is offering the unique chance for visitors to take part in behind the scenes tours of the house in March and October.

For the first time, members of the public will discover secrets of how the former royal palace's historic collections are cared for during the winter period.

Visitors will be given access to parts of the house normally kept closed and be able to view the collections which are undergoing specialist cleaning.

Hour-long tours from experienced guides will provide a unique insight into the historic and social history of Audley End House and Gardens.

Neil Cole, head of visitor operations, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for people to see how the house operates out of the peak summer visiting times. Amongst other things, it's an educational process to see how important, historical articles are preserved and looked after.

"Many of the items in the house need to be covered during the colder months for preservation purposes to prevent dust, dirt, grime, sunlight and varying temperatures affecting them. Routes through the house cannot be made accessible throughout the year as it would cause substantial wear and stress upon the delicate objects but these behind the scenes tours can allow people to get an exclusive look at the maintenance process.

"The tours will offer a different experience for visitors, allowing people to satisfy their curiosity in terms of how Audley End House is looked after, and hopefully we'll see people return in the summer to visit the house in its full splendour."

The behind the scenes tours will take place from March 1 to 31 and October 1 to 31 on Mondays, 10.30am to 4pm, and Thursdays to Sundays, 10.30am to 4pm. Gardens open 10am - 5pm.

Each tour will last approximately one hour.

Contact the information line on 01799 522399 for prices and more details.