Historic England describes it as a summerhouse, but the evidence tells a very different story. This article re-examines one of Hawkesyard’s most distinctive buildings, revealing how it functioned as a technologically advanced Victorian glasshouse for cultivating tropical plants before later being converted to an entirely different use.
Tag: Spode Hawkesyard
A Victorian show garden
Drawing on a contemporary account from 1853, this article recreates the experience of visiting Hawkesyard’s extraordinary Victorian show gardens. Glasshouses, exotic plants, tunnels, fountains and prize-winning displays combined to create one of the most ambitious horticultural landscapes in the region.