Iron work starts to return

The Victorian Conservatory Starts to Return

The  restoration of the fragile Victorian conservatory at Wentworth Castle has taken a significant step this month.  The first parts of the conservatory’s iron frame have started to return to the site after spending the past seven months undergoing detailed restoration at Shepley Engineers in Shafton, Barnsley.

The frame consists of 4,000 parts which have had to be carefully dismantled, labelled, cleaned and re-cast where necessary.

An incredible 35 layers of paint including greens, whites and creams were removed to reveal the intricate detail below. The 28 cast iron columns which support the structure have now been re-erected on site - restoration work can be seen taking place from the Azalea Garden.

Over the next 3 months we will see more of the structure returning and the restored Conservatory will gradually start to take shape.