OPULENT treasures gracing the rooms of one of the county's most astounding stately homes have gone on display to the public for the first time.

The exhibition, The Treasures of Croome - Revealed, has been opened at Worcester Library and Museum on Foregate Street.

It has taken three years to plan, and features portraits, maps and furniture designed and crafted especially for Croome Court, which is situated near the M5, south of Worcester.

Because the court is in private ownership, the public are not allowed to explore the home, but for the first time a taster of the court's internal grandeur is on display, said Tim Bridges, the collections manager for Worcester Museums.

The Coventrys - the aristocratic family who owned the estate until the 1940s - collected many of the pieces and employed some of the county's finest designers, including 'Capability' Brown and Robert Adams in the 1700s.

A highlight of the exhibition, which runs until Saturday, July 9, is the mahogany font commissioned for the church of St Mary Magdalene at Croome, designed by Robert Adam.

Adding some sparkle are an elegant pair of silver candlesticks and the Lord Keeper's Cup - a piece of master craftsmanship in gold. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London have loaned the pieces.

"We have been planning this exhibition for three years and we've been working with the Court trustees, the National Trust, and the Church Conservation Trust," said Mr Bridges.

''We wanted to put the court's paintings and furniture in the context of the estate as a whole," he added.

Anyone wishing to see the treasures can visit between 9.30am-5.30pm Monday to Friday, and 9.30am-5pm on Saturdays.