It has taken ten long years of fundraising, 15 months of renovation and a cool £3.74m - but the Victorian Conservatory at Wentworth Castle is resplendent once again.

 

The conservatory finally reopened to the public on Friday after a mammoth restoration. Beautifully rippled glass, manufactured to look vintage, reflects the autumn light and 35,000 new and restored Victorian floor tiles lead visitors through the glasshouse's planting beds.

 

In the next few months the glasshouse will become a forest of green as the new plants grow and climb the walls. Visitors will learn about the castle's history through interactive information panels.

 

The Wentworth Castle conservatory is a Grade 2* listed glasshouse which fell into ruin in the mid 20th century. Trees grew through what was once the floor, windows were smashed and scaffolding propped up the entire structure. Today it is as good as new.

 

Planting at the restored conservatory is divided into five sections based on the continents of the world - reflecting the travels of the early plant explorers who brought rare species back to Wentworth Castle.

 

As the conservatory finally opened, volunteers, led by head gardener Michael Klemperer, helped put the finishing touches to the grounds.

 

"Everyone agrees that the workmanship on the conservatory is just fantastic and it's a very faithful restoration, even down to the planting lists. This glorious glasshouse is the jewel in Wentworth Castle Gardens' crown," he said.

 

Director Claire Herring says the restoration journey has been long but has definitely been worth the wait. "This conservatory was almost lost. I really don't think it would have withstood the snow we had last winter, I'm pretty sure it would have collpased. Fortunately we raised enough money and the restoration got underway just in time," she said.

 

During the winter the restored glasshouse will be open weekdays, 11am-3pm, and on weekends at 10am-4pm.