Understanding the restoration process for chimney-pieces that have been modified requires a thorough understanding of the development of the chimney-piece in Britain during the Georgian period. John Davis is an established authority on "Antique Garden Ornament" (see Woodbridge 1991) and is working on a book on "The Chimney-piece in Georgian Britain". His unpublished files allow the location of similar examples from the same craftsmen's workshops or architect's designs and this greatly broadens our ability to correctly re-construct chimney-pieces.

An example of the development of the formation and refinement of chimney-piece design from the mid to late 18th century style can be seen in these designs for a hall chimney-piece probably designed by William Kent.

PLATE 1. Ware, Designs of Inigo Jones and others, 1731	PLATE 2. Kent's source for the design, Serlio's The Five Books of Architecture, 1611	PLATE 3. Modified version of Kent's design as published by R. Baldwin, The Chimney-piece Makers Daily Assistant 1769

Further work undertaken includes

• General research of chimney-pieces to ascertain architectural and sculptural sources
• Cataloguing and surveying of chimney-pieces in situ: dating, measuring and recording of particular physical   characteristics
• Valuation