The recent renaissance in traditional-looking conservatories built to last and remain a well-loved part of people’s homes is a welcome sight to see, and as long as they are well-maintained and repaired before winter can expose their weaknesses, they can be enjoyed for decades to come.
If there is a tragedy to the modern popularity of conservatories and orangeries, however, it is that this appreciation came a little too late to save some of the most iconic and influential glasshouses ever made in Great Britain.
The loss of the Great Conservatory of Chatsworth House, nicknamed the Great Stove due to its balmy, tropical atmosphere, and particularly the loss of the famous Crystal Palace to fire, were from an era before the heritage of these buildings could be properly respected.
By contrast, Springburn Winter Gardens, Scotland’s largest conservatory at the time, managed to survive, albeit in a ruined state, almost anything that nature and bureaucracy can throw at it, with some lessons in resilience for modern conservatories to share.
Why Was Springburn Winter Gardens Made?
Based in North Glasgow, Springburn Winter Gardens was a centrepiece of Springburn Park when it was expanded thanks to the donation of land and money by Sir Hugh Reid of the locomotive manufacturers Neilson, Reid and Company.
Along with being a beautiful conservatory, the largest of its kind in Scotland when constructed, it was a local landmark placed in one of the highest parts of Glasgow, where generations of visitors enjoyed not only an array of exotic plants, but also exhibitions and music concerts.
It was highly popular for nearly a century, so what happened to leave it in ruins?
What Happened To The Conservatory?
There are two explanations for the four decades of disrepair and the state of the building today.
The short answer is that a particularly violent storm that hit Glasgow in 1983 damaged the glasshouse to the point that it was no longer safe to use, which led to the Glasgow City Council closing it and never reopening it.
The long answer is somewhat more complex and explains the weaknesses in the conservatory that had been established in the two decades before its closure.
In the 1960s, the Scottish locomotive sector collapsed, a huge manufacturing artery that forced the overall area into a state of disrepair and decline. This was not helped by an expressway being built through it in the early 1980s and a remarkable level of demolition beginning in the 1970s.
All of this led many people, including many of the generations who had adored Springburn Winter Gardens, to leave their homes and relocate elsewhere for new opportunities.
All of this, alongside one of the worst economic recessions in the last half-century, left Glasgow without any money to figuratively and literally weather the storm that would bring the conservatory into disrepair.
It came within days of being demolished entirely, but why was it saved?
Why Are Its Ruins Still Standing?
Many incredible conservatories, most notably Crystal Palace, have been destroyed, either through serious damage, falling into disrepair or a combination of both. Why did this particular conservatory escape demolition?
It was ultimately an incredibly close call, with the decision to register it as a Category A listed building finalised two days before Glasgow District Council were set to recommend its demolition.
This helped give it a stay of execution with the hope that the Council would restore and reopen it when they had the funds to.
Unfortunately, that opening day drifted further and further away. It was declared derelict in 1989, placed on the Buildings at Risk register the following year and eventually classified as a “ruin at critical risk a quarter of a century later in 2014.
The fight for preservation and the importance of repairing rather than replacing conservatories began to intensify in the early 2010s, around the time that a revival of traditional conservatories was beginning to take place.
Nearby Springburn Public Halls, a Category B listed building, was demolished in 2012 after being closed due to dry rot at around the same time as the Winter Gardens. It was controversially demolished and redeveloped into flats.
Fearing a similar fate for the Winter Gardens, a public trust was launched, which has revitalised interest in the gardens as a living ruin; it stands as a relic of what was, with hope that this can inspire fundraising efforts to restore it to its former glory as a centre of the community once again.
All of this highlights the importance of purpose when repairing a conservatory; whilst ensuring a conservatory is structurally sound and everything within it is working is important, it is important to make sure that it continues to work for you, as there are ways to fix it if there are not.