The National Gallery’s Second World War Treasure Caves: Manod Quarry, North Wales

During the Second World War, The National Gallery’s extensive art collection found refuge in the most unlikely of places, Manod Quarry, set within the breath-taking and remote Snowdonia mountains. The presentation tells the story of the secret subterranean storage facility through a remarkable collection of wartime photography, documents and videos. Today, the place survives as a monument to the nation’s effort to save our cultural heritage and a testament to scientific endeavour that changed painting conservation practice forever. The presentation will also share photos and videos from the summer of 2025, one of the last visits below-ground and the making of this project.