Ramsden Building’s historical secrets revealed
What makes a room fit for a Duke? The University of Huddersfield may have found an answer in a surprising place.
Henry Boot Construction, who are renovating the Victorian-era Ramsden Building made a surprising discovery as they stripped back almost 150 years of paint and plaster. In a corner of a small office they uncovered colourful hand painted wallpaper, obscured since the 1880s.
Luckily, experts from the University’s Heritage Quay were on hand to help. Dr Becky Bowd, University Archivist explains, “The building opened in 1883 with a Fine Art and Industrial Exhibition, showcasing Huddersfield’s technical and creative capabilities to paying audiences. We know the room was decorated by a local firm from the Exhibition guide but the distinctive repeating pattern of a crown and emblem were not mentioned.”
Dr Bowd continues, “A deep dive in the archives uncovered a newspaper article which mentioned that the room was set aside for the VIP who opened the building: the Duke of Somerset. We think that the wallpaper was created just for him, and then covered up soon afterwards when it became a classroom."
“The emblem is the garter star from the Order of the Garter, and says ‘Honi soit qui mal i pense’. The Duke had been appointed a Knight of the Garter in 1862, so very few people could use that emblem and the room was also set aside for his use if he ever needed it.
“It’s likely that the team from Henry Boot Construction were the first people to see it for over a century.”
The University has brought in Louise Drover, a historic wallpaper conservation expert who has appeared on TV shows Treasures of the National Trust and The Repair Shop, who had never seen anything quite like it.
See carousel below for more photos and how the new building will look
Heritage Quay's Rebecca Bowd with Andy Desay from Henry Boot Construction and Louise Drover
The wallpaper, from the 1880s, has been hidden away for decades.
This map of Africa had been stored in an attic space that has been cleared when a false ceiling was removed.
This map of Australia contains few details on the continent's interior due to its age.
A CGI impression of how part of interior of the refurbished Ramsden Building will look.
"This building holds many high-quality original features, reflecting the knowledge, skills and wealth of the industrial age,” says Louise “Whilst the bones often survive, the softer furnishings and opulent touches usually disappear over time. So it’s a real thrill to find a hidden part of that history and be able to preserve and stabilise it for generations to come.
“I am still quite shocked at what we found, and at how difficult it was to remove the wallpaper. I have never come across anything like it. When papering the room for the Duke they may have used a starch-based paste potentially with animal glue added to it to improve its strength. It certainly felt like it, because it was so difficult to remove – so much so that we decided it was best to leave most of it in place, although we removed a small section for the university’s archive. The wallpaper is really special and very unusual."
Ramsden Building reveals its secrets
The Ramsden Building has thrown up a range of other historical treasures, with old maps and paintings found on the top of false ceilings, and other original fixtures and fittings hidden by later additions. Some of these elements are also being preserved as part of the restoration project.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Thornton said, “The Ramsden Building is a crucial part of the University’s legacy. The care of the historic buildings on the campus is very important to us and it’s wonderful to be able to honour the building and the Fine Art and Industrial Exhibition. Due to the existence of our wonderful, award-winning archive service Heritage Quay, we were able to draw on in-house expertise to make sense of what we found.”
Charles Corbett, the University’s Project Manager, added, “A refurbishment project like this always throws up challenges and unknowns, however, I have never been involved in a project where historic wallpaper like this has been revealed, presenting a great opportunity to link the past and the present.”
Dr Bowd adds, “The on-site team from Henry Boot Construction have been instrumental to these fascinating finds. They have been careful to leave anything they have discovered and then let us know what they have found. The renovation of Ramsden is a complex project, but the care shown by the Henry Boot Construction team means that we are unexpectedly finding out even more about the history of the university.”
Lee Powell, Managing Director at Henry Boot Construction, said: “We’re proud to be leading the careful restoration of the Ramsden Building. Heritage projects like this are a real privilege, offering the chance to honour a building’s past.
“For our team, it has been especially exciting to uncover hidden treasures that reveal the building’s rich history. Our focus is on breathing new life into the space to make it future-ready, while preserving and celebrating the original features, character, and identity that make it truly special.”
The building is scheduled to reopen in 2026 and the University will be arranging special viewings of the wallpaper before the new occupants move in.
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