Panshanger Orangery And Conservatory

The Panshanger Orangery and Conservatory, built around 1856 for the 7th Earl Cowper, served as the former orangery for Panshanger House, which has since been demolished. This structure is made of white brick with terracotta dressings and is designed in a classical style. It features 11 bays arranged in a 4:3:4 configuration across three distinct sections, with the central three bays projecting slightly. The original sashed openings are mostly empty, but a few glazing bars remain, framed by double gauged brick flat arched surrounds. Each bay is flanked by brick pilasters, and there is a terracotta panel above the central bays adorned with a rich festoon and drop relief. A terracotta cornice runs along the pierced parapet, which is decorated with a double row of terracotta medallions. The outer bays mirror the central ones but lack the festooned panels and have a lower cornice at the parapet. The returns of the central section also continue the parapet design. The rear of the orangery features similar central bays as the front, while the outer bays are blind, with small entrances located in the penultimate bays. The hipped roof has some moulded rafters. The interior is divided into three sections and includes iron braces supporting the roof. Extending to the rear right, a low brick wall forms the back of a smaller five-bay former conservatory. The central bay projects and has a blind panel beneath a terracotta cornice, with pilasters and two bay returns. To the rear left, there is a three-bay wall with buttresses and coping. Formal gardens once existed immediately south of the orangery, leading to landscaped grounds and the Mimram valley, which were laid out by Humphry Repton between 1799 and 1801.