Rhosygilwen’s Historic Glasshouse
Step inside the Glasshouse at Rhosygilwen and experience the grandeur of one of the most significant buildings of its kind in Wales. Lovingly restored by local craftsmen in 2019, the Glasshouse is a salvaged piece of timeless design, steeped in local history. It is located next to The Walled Garden and helps provide sustainable and ethical food for the Bed and Breakfast and the wedding breakfast.
An incredible backdrop for wedding portraits
The restoration of the Glasshouse
When Glen Peters and Brenda Squires purchased Rhosygilwen in the 1990s, they discovered the Glasshouse in disarray.
The couple promptly set to work restoring both the mansion and the surrounding gardens, before deciding to tackle the dilapidated glasshouse.
It was in a pretty sorry state. Only about a third of the original building was remaining and what was left had been given a perspex roof. The glasshouse was neglected and had been left to ruin.
Fortunately, enough of the original features remained to enable local restoration specialists to get to work restoring the Glasshouse to how it would have looked in its heyday. Their research revealed that the Glasshouse was probably built at the turn of the last century, making it early Edwardian both in design and appearance.
“This fitted in quite neatly with the abolition of the glass tax in the second half of the 19th century. All of a sudden glass was being used in a totally new and adventurous way. Conservatories and glasshouses were being built all over the country and they quickly became recognised as a status symbol and an indication of the owner’s wealth. The bigger and more exotic the glasshouse the wealthier the owner would be. There’s no doubt that it would have been a tremendous status symbol for the Colbys who owned Rhosygilwen at the turn of the century.” – Glen Peters, Rhosygilwen owner
The heart of modern life at Rhosygilwen
Today, the Glasshouse is as magnificent as the day it was built. Aside from creating the most unique wedding photography, it is an essential part of the ecosystem at Rhosygilwen.
The gardening team uses it for propagating before moving plants to The Walled Garden, providing an abundant supply of fresh vegetables and herbs to the mansion. It also houses a flourishing vine and other tropical fruits and flowers.