AFTER a 2,000-mile round trip for vital repairs, a rare chandelier has returned to Padiham.

Gawthorpe Hall has been reunited with the precious piece, which was sent to Venice for glass work earlier this month.

The chandelier, which is made up of pink and pale blue flowers, could only be repaired in Venice as it is the only place in the world where Murano glass can be found.

The piece is one of two bought by Lady Blanche Shuttleworth, in the 1870s, while on a visit to Italy.

Rachel Pollitt, manager of the hall, said: “It looks fantastic now it’s back in place.

“It’s an original Victorian piece and, though it is in a Jacobean room, I think it looks great.

“We were looking for it to be fixed in 2006 but, because the glass is so rare, the process has been quite long,” she added.

The chandelier has been put back in the drawing room, where it was before one of the arms broke away.

It was sent to Venice so that replica pieces could be created in as close a style to the original as possible.

Repair work was undertaken by the Brotheridges Chandelier firm, where Terry Brotheridge restored the feature to its best.

Visitors to the hall gathered to watch the intricate installation as experts re-hung the treasured chandelier last week.