Conservatory Ideas - The Victorian Conservatory

If you are considering extending your property, then a conservatory is one of the most popular options. Coming up with conservatory ideas on the other hand, can be quite a daunting task.

Conservatory Designs

There are many types of conservatory that you can choose from, and each has their own unique design. Below you will find the predominant style types.

• The Georgian conservatory
• The Victorian conservatory
• The Edwardian conservatory
• The Gable fronted conservatory
• The P-shaped conservatory
• The Lean-To conservatory

Out of all the above conservatories (or glasshouses as they were formally known), by far the most popular design for modern homeowners is the Victorian conservatory.

The Victorian conservatory has been around since the reign of Queen Victoria, who ruled in England from 1837 until 1901. It is characteristic in its design by having an almost octagonal shape, with around seven splays. The term splay is pretty much outdated nowadays and has been replaced by the more common wording of bay or facet.

Another characteristic of this design is the pitched roof, which typically has very ornate mouldings running along its apex. The roof itself can often be very extravagant, and many are found to be domed in design.

There are many well-known conservatories built during the Victorian era. Many of these were built in botanical gardens, as another key characteristic of conservatories is their ability to utilise the maximum amount of light available on any given day. Probably the most famous of these is the conservatory built at Kew Gardens in 1859. This conservatory is the oldest surviving glasshouse in existence today.

The popularity of Victorian conservatories sparked huge interest in this period, not only in the UK, but also around the world. With the British monarchy having influence on most continents, so the building of these elaborate Victorian structures boomed. Many of these are still fully functional to this day, and are key attractions in their respective locations listed below:

• The United States Botanic Garden, Washington DC, U.S.A.

The U.S. Botanic Garden is the oldest fully functional conservatory in the United States and was built in 1867.

• The University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden, Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Palm House in this botanical garden is a magnificent example of Victorian construction and boasts a cast-iron spiral staircase. It was built in 1874.

• The Adelaide Botanic Garden, Adelaide, Australia.

This botanical garden was inspired by Kew Gardens and has a Victorian glasshouse which was in fact imported there in 1875 from Bremen, Germany. It was opened in 1877.

• The Pearson Conservatory, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

The conservatory was named after the Mayor of Port Elizabeth, Mr HW Pearson, and was opened in 1882.

With these fine examples of Victorian conservatories, with their elegant styling and grand appearance, it is no wonder that this is still the most popular of all conservatory designs to date. They make a fantastic addition to your home by enhancing your existing living space which makes your home that extra bit more enjoyable.