Greenhouse at High Glanau

A very well designed greenhouse of medium size, recently restored. It is about 11m long and 4m wide, on an E-W axis, entered at the W end, and internally divided into 2 cells which can be managed independently of one another. The base is sandstone rubble finished with 2 courses of red brick, the main structure consisting of a light wooden frame providing a pitched roof of 4+4 structural bays with glazed sides and roof. Each bay of the roof is divided by intermediate glazing bars and a light mid-rail into 8 lights (4 above and 4 below the rail), each light having 3 glass panes. Except for the bottom row, each of these has a convex lower edge overlapping the one below, so that rainwater runs down the centre instead of beside the glazing bars. (This provides a self-contained water collection system, water draining from the gutters into a sump inside each half of the structure to maintain humidity.) The side walls are one pane deep, consisting of 4 long top-hung casements to each side (2 in each half). The top of the N slope of the roof has similar top-hung casements. The gable ends have vertical glazing bars only, and in the W end is a part-glazed door.

There is a glazed internal partition enabling the micro-environment of each half of the structure to be controlled independently. The ventilation is worked by a system of levers, rods and cogged wheels by which the top-hung casements in each part are opened and closed. Hot water pipes running along the beds on each side are heated by a boiler in one corner. In the W half is a high 2-level slatted table which appears to be original.