Conservatory at Sunnycroft

The conservatory at Sunnycroft is a structure built around 1900 by R Halliday & Co. It is designated at Grade II for its group value, its survival as an intact example of a 19th-century glasshouse, and its contribution to a remarkably complete 19th-century suburban estate.

The conservatory is constructed of painted wood and glass, with lower walls of red brick. Decorative wrought ironwork is featured. It has a rectangular plan and a hipped roof, with a raised lantern at the centre. A canted bay containing the entrance is located on the south front.

The upper portion of the conservatory is divided into four glazed panels on the east and west sides, and six on the north side. Upper lights incorporate stained glass. The lantern and the canted bay are topped with decorative iron cresting.

Inside, the central area has tiled flooring, while the sides feature piled rockwork, reflecting the building’s former use as a fern bed. Staging supported by cast iron columns allows for the display of potted plants.

Sunnycroft house itself was originally built in two phases. A modest villa was constructed in 1880, and in the 1890s it was extended by Mary Jane Slaney, who added the present dining room, billiard room, entrance hall, porch, gentlemen’s cloakroom, lavatory, and store. The conservatory was added at this time.