Putting the class back into old glasshouse

IT has been described as ‘Yorkshire’s cathedral to plants’ - but over the years it has fallen into a sad state of disrepair.

When it was built in 1880, the Victorian conservatory at Wentworth Castle Gardens was a pioneering piece of cutting edge modern technology.

It even boasted electricity - before such a ‘new fangled’ form of heating or lighting was installed in the grand country home of its owners.

But today the cast iron and glass conservatory stands in ruins, gently decaying and decomposing, only prevented from falling to the ground by specialist scaffolding gently placed around it until funds can be found for its restoration.

Now an emergency 2.5million appeal has just been launched to save the conservatory for future generations to enjoy.

‘Without any further help this ornate structure will decay’

Richard Evans

Four years ago the conservatory attracted so much interest when it was featured in the BBC Restoration series that it made it through to the grand final where it came a creditable third place.

Viewers voted for the most worthy project to be restored to its former glory, with the conservatory narrowly missing out.

Although it won thousands of fans, it did not win any funding.

And despite the 15million currently being spent on the restoration of the gardens and parklands of Wentworth Castle at Stainborough, near Barnsley, none of the money had been allocated for the conservatory.

Richard Evans, from the Wentworth Castle Trust, warns bleakly: “Without any further help this ornate structure will decay further and then ultimately collapse. These are the stark realities facing us if we cannot raise enough funding to secure its future.”

The Trust is exploring various funding opportunities, but hopes visitors to the gardens and restored follies and monuments that make up South Yorkshire’s only grade one listed landscape will also support the conservatory appeal and dig deep into their pockets.

Paul Johnson, from the Trust, explains: “If anything, after all the restoration work that has gone on around it the conservatory looks even sadder now than before. Yet even in its current state you can see how stunning it could look and it is of such historic interest it must be saved.

“When it featured on Restoration a staggering 130,000 people telephoned to vote to save the conservatory - they were television viewers from all over the UK who recognised that here in South Yorkshire we have a unique and precious structure that deserves saving.”

The glasshouse or conservatory was commissioned by Frederick Vernon-Wentworth in 1835 and built around 1880.

It was designed, erected, lit and heated by the Chelmsford firm of Crompton and Fawkes, who described it as ‘an iron winter garden’. Crompton and Fawkes were also responsible for introducing electric lighting to Buckingham Palace.

The early use of electricity, before it had even been installed in the main house Wentworth Castle, was consistent with the Victorian penchant for new technological developments.

The great popularity of glasshouses was fuelled by the 19th century passion for the collection of exotic plants.

There was an explosion in plant hunting at the beginning of the 19th century, and an increase in the availability of exotics as commercial nurseries began to recognise the potential profits to be made.