An 18th Century quilt thought to have been used on Lord Byron's bed has gone back on display nearly 30 years after being found in a trunk.

The quilt was restored at a cost of more than �4,000 over a period of 12 months.

It was recently returned to its original location on a bed in Lord Byron's home at Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire.

The curator of Newstead Abbey, Haidee Jackson, said: "The treatment involved no less than eight baths in a specially-built tub.

Intricate design

"It was very, very carefully washed and dried.

"Then a specially designed netting was installed to prevent the quilt from deteriorating further."

The delicate and intricate Indian embroidered flower design is now one of the centrepiece exhibits in the house.

The full history of the quilt is not known, but the Victorian and Albert Museum in London has established that it was sewn in the 18th Century.

It is possible that the quilt was taken off Lord Byron's bed and dumped in a chest of drawers some time before Nottingham City took control of the site in 1973.