The history of William Richardson and Co. of Darlington, who made the Scampston conservatory, is proving to be really fascinating. More on that in a while. Meanwhile I am working on a list - or several lists - of Richardson glass houses, surviving and demolished, and looking for plans and photographs. I'd really appreciate information about any Richardson survivals - they can often be identified by the name cast into the ironwork. This example is from Beningbrough near York.

Welcome to the Conservatory Blog

Welcome to the Scampston Conservatory Blog. This will follow the restoration of the Richardson conservatory and the adjacent bothies within the Walled Garden and report on the wider activity plan, research, events and visits to Scampston as part of the Heritage Lottery Funded project.

Work on the historic Richardson Victorian glasshouse and gardeners’ bothies  is due to commence later this summer led by Caroe Architects  with project management from Buro4.  The project team are currently  helping the Scampston Conservatory Preservation Company (SCPCo) in selecting the building contractor and  will be assisting in the restoration of the building over the next year.  

Paul Mosley has started work as part-time Heritage Learning Officer. Paul’s work during the first month has included meetings with Caroline Legard, project leader for SCPCo and Dr Gill Cookson who has been commissioned to undertake  historical research into the Richardson Conservatory.

Richardson Catalogue

In 1894, W. Richardson & Co. of Darlington provided William H. St. Quintin Esq. of Scampston Hall with a set of working drawings for a ‘Range of Glasshouses’. It is clear from the surviving drawing that Richardson always intended to incorporate existing buildings, including the gardener’s cottages (bothies), into his plans. However, Richardson’s design would substantially extend the facilities by providing late and early vineries, a stove house and an elegant ‘projecting conservatory’ at the centre of the range.

The Scampston Heritage Volunteers met with Paul, Caroline Legard (Project Leader) and Oral Historian, Liz Smith,  in June to discuss ideas for the interpretation work research. The first exhibition "Working Indoors and Out - Life at Scampston"  is being planned for next Spring / Summer season and  will draw on some of the amazing oral history stories gathered by Liz and the volunteers.

Heritage Volunteers Meeting

The Project has also seen its 1^st School visit with  Mr Bateson's class from Rillington Primary School visiting one morning in June.  After walking from the school to Scampston, the group were led on a discovery walk through the 'Capability' Brown parkland, gathering leaves and other natural materials on story sticks as a record of their journey.

Discovery walk through the Scampston Parkland

Story sticks at the ready

Inspired by the walk, the children then got stuck into their own garden design activity in the Walled Garden.  Their task was to design their own tulip flower beds.  The class will get the opportunity to plant the best design in the autumn ready for a flower display in the garden next spring. There will also be regular Conservatory ‘newshound’ reports from local schools and the architect.

Young garden designers hard at work.....

More garden designers

Selecting Tulips

Sample design

Following the visit by Rillington School a group from Settrington School also visited Scampston in July. The group  explored the parkland and walled garden and also had time and great fun planning their own Tulip bed designs.

Finally there’s work in progress planning for the Heritage Open Day at Scampston on  Sunday 15^th September 10am -4.30pm. During the open day there will be information available on the conservatory restoration as well as heritage walks and guided family walks –  full details available soon.

If you are interested in finding out more about the project please sign up to the blog for future postings on the progress of the project.

STOP PRESS: Find out about the fascinating secret history of the Scampston Estate Ice House during the Second World War, thanks to research and field visit to Scampston by the British Resistance Archive, and to Kathleen Young of Rillington, who told us what she could remember about the movements of the army in the woods in the 1940’s. 

Secret of the Scampston Ice House Revealed....You Tube Video  below