A PRICELESS Parisian tapestry has been restored nearly 90 years after being wrecked by a water stain from an overflowing bath.

The intricate, 244-year-old Gobelins tapestries at Newby Hall, near Ripon, depicts “The Loves of the Gods” and involves designs by François Boucher, the favourite painter of Louis XV’s mistress, Madame de Pompadour.

They were ordered in 1763 by the then owner of Newby Hall, William Weddells, from the Gobelins tapestry factory in Paris, which had previously only created items for the French Royal Family and was one of only six sets made for English patrons.

Such was the grandeur of the artwork that architect Robert Adam created a drawing room specifically for the heavenly tapestries to be hung when he was involved in a redesign of the house in the 18th century.

But it was a very human error in the 1930s that literally cast a stain on the magnificent antique, when a guest left the bath tub running too long upstairs, causing water to leak through the ceiling. According to Newby Hall folklore, the guest was never invited back.

Now the priceless tapestry has been given a new lease of life following a painstaking restoration by a specialist company in Belgium, which was tasked with removing two and a half centuries of dirt.

Newby Hall’s owners, Richard and Lucinda Compton sent the Gobelins Tapestries with a caretaker and another person, rather than trust the journey to a courier.

It was in contrast to the tapestries’ arrival in England in 1767, when they were brought into the country in the French Ambassador’s diplomatic bag in order to avoid import duty.

Though a nervy process for Newby Hall’s owners, the cleaning was described as a huge success.

Lucinda Compton said: “We are delighted and relieved that the cleaning was such a success, the colours which have emerged are so vibrant and look truly spectacular. The Tapestry Room at Newby has always been incredibly popular with our visitors as it is unique and we can’t wait for our visitors to see the results.”

The room also includes an English Axminster carpet and ceiling designed by the architect Robert Adam, while Thomas Chippendale was commissioned to provide the sofas and chairs, designed to fit under the tapestries. They are the only pieces of Chippendale furniture known to have retained their original upholstery.