The conservation lab has been overtaken by the Bronze Age recently with two hoards totalling over 200 objects requiring x-ray, cleaning and stabilisation. Both the Hindon and Wardour hoards were found by a metal detectorist near Salisbury and have been declared as treasure. The hoards were excavated by archaeologists and information about how they were buried is being collected and analysed in the hope of gaining some clue as to why the objects were buried. Both hoards have been acquired by the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum and once the objects have been conserved they will be put on display in the renovated Wessex Gallery at the museum.

In January of this year the conservation team took microscopes, cleaning tools and brushes and a few objects from the Wardour hoard to the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum as part of the ‘Watch This Space Exhibition’ giving visitors and local school groups a chance to see behind-the-scenes conservation in action. In the public gallery, conservators were on hand to answer questions about the hoard and demonstrate the cleaning techniques we use. Using the microscopes, the conservators were able to see the objects under magnification and could carry out mechanical cleaning.

My name is Wendy S-Woodiwis and I am currently on placement with the conservation department at Wiltshire and Swindon History centre. I am studying conservation of both archaeological and museum objects at Durham University. One of the objects which I am currently working on is a medieval armet which is a type of helmet which was developed in the 15th century.  The armet is part of a collection of funerary armour which was originally hung about Sir Thomas Long’s (1451-1508) tomb in Draycot Cerne church until 2009. Sir Thomas Long fought alongside Henry VII in pursuit of the rebel Perkin Warbeck and was knighted at the marriage of King Arthur, he then died in 1508. The history of Sir Thomas Long and the funerary armour go hand in hand. Firstly he was known as a man of arms and secondly there is a date for his death which gives an indication for the date of the armour.

As part of their contribution to the English Heritage update of the Stonehenge Visitor Centre Wiltshire Conservation Service have been conserving items from collections across the county.
Many of the items chosen for display at the new Stonehenge Visitor centre have previously been conserved; presenting the conservation staff with a range of challenges.

Many items have been sampled; that is sections of material have been removed and sent away for scientific analysis. Such analysis can help to identify the materials and methods used in manufacture, can date the object or help archaeologists and curators to learn what the object was used for. In the past greater amounts of material were required for reliable results to be achieved therefore large areas were damaged and the appearance of the objects dramatically affected. For example the Ox mandible, seen in images 1 & 2, where a large area had previously been removed for analysis dramatically affecting the profile of the bone. For display it was felt that this area should be reconstructed to show the true shape of the mandible.

Saya Honda Miles has been volunteering with the Archives conservation team to help with large conservation projects. She has been working with Senior Conservation officers Paul Smith and Sarah Money conserve Inland Revenue maps from 1901, 19th Century tissue plans of Great Wishford Church and manuscripts for Sir Richard Colt-Hoare’s volumes: The Ancient History of Wiltshire and The History of Modern Wiltshire from the Wiltshire Museum.

Saya graduated with a First-class honours degree in Conservation from Camberwell College of Arts in 2008.  After graduation, she worked on a cellulose nitrate negative deep-freezing project at the Ashmolean Museum. She became an Icon Intern for the Conservation of Photographic Materials; hosted by English Heritage and National Trust in 2009. After the internship, Saya started her private business; SMILES Conservation and she became a member of the ICON Photographic Materials Group Committee in 2010.

In March 2013, she completed the Red Box Project; a digitisation and conservation project of 600,000 open-access architectural photographs as a project conservator at the English Heritage Archives. After completing the project, she started volunteering at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre in May 2013 to refresh her paper conservation skills. She has recently been appointed at the English Heritage Archives as the Maternity Cover Assistant Archive Conservator.

My name is Beth Werrett and I am a Contract Conservator for Wiltshire Council Conservation and Museums Advisory Service (CMAS). I conserve objects for and provide advice to archaeological units, museums and other heritage organisations as part of the commercial branch of the service.
A year ago I decided that, having worked for nearly five years at a variety of heritage organisations since first studying for the profession, I felt that I had developed sufficient skills, knowledge and experience to apply for professional accreditation.

What is Accreditation?

Professional Accreditation of Conservator-Restorers or PACR assesses  a conservator's professional practice within the work place. It allows a common standard to be applied across the profession, regardless of the training route taken, the conservation specialism, or the context in which a conservator may practice. An accredited conservator demonstrates a high level of competence, sound judgement and an in-depth knowledge of the principles and ethics which are key to conservation practice.

Why did I decide to apply?

The benefits of achieving accreditation were both professional and personal. For the Wiltshire Conservation Service it is beneficial to have accredited members of staff; their clients can be assured that they are working to consistently high standards.Achieving accreditation would be a significant personal achievement, providing recognition of the breadth of skills and expertise that I had developed since qualifying as a conservator. Also, I felt that the structure of continual review in place within the PACR system would help me to maintain my high standard of work and prevent me falling into bad habits!

Back in 2010 one of our Conservators began work on the Buckland Fossil Table, housed at the Lyme Regis Museum. The table was owned by William Buckland one of the leading geologists of the 19th Century. Buckland was a highly regarded character who, whilst Professor of Geology at Oxford University, carried out pioneering work not only in the study of dinosaurs, but also the analysis of coprolites or fossilised faeces. The large inlay panel of the Buckland fossil table is set with coprolites which have been cut in half and polished to a high sheen. The table is highly unusual and an extremely popular exhibit at Lyme Regis Museum.

The table was stable, but fragile when it arrived at the History Centre. The table top was original, but the base of the table was a simple modern replacement. The veneer over much of the table top had lifted from the table surface, probably due to the age of the adhesive and fluctuations in the humidity of its display environment. In many areas the veneer had been lost completely.