Every year, while the historic house is closed for the season, it undergoes a spruce-up where all silver and brass is polished, fireplaces and grates are blacked, carpets lifted, windows washed, chandeliers cleaned and floors waxed and polished ready for a new season of visitors.

The biggest job it faces is the mammoth task of cleaning the drawing room ceiling and frieze which dates from 1605, installed by Francis and Thomas Gunby of Yorkshire who worked on many important houses at that time. It is made of plaster and features the latest Italian designs of that period, demonstrating the Shuttleworth family status.

These designs include fantastical creatures, mermaids, griffins, lions, plants, vines and fruiting branches, as well as the images of two family members from the 14th Century, all of which can still be seen today stretching across the ceiling and surrounding frieze.

Taking care of something like this is a delicate job and staff are trained by conservation experts from Lancashire County Council Museum Service in how best to clean and preserve this historic piece of art.

The back-breaking work involves standing on scaffolding using very small brushes to move the dust off the plasterwork which is then hoovered with a tiny hoover backpack before the dust can settle elsewhere.

The cleaners also check the condition of the ceiling, noting any damage or cracks that may need further attention. This part of the cleaning operation alone takes two weeks.

Gawthorpe Hall will open again on Wednesday, April 1st, when visitors are invited to see the magnificent décor and period collections, which will all be gleaming in the wake of the big clean.

The Hall is managed by Lancashire County Council on behalf of The National Trust.