Citrus House

Cadw's description

Location

The citrus house is prominently located in Margam Park to the NW of the orangery. It faces S towards the ornamental pool.

History

Built c1800 to replace earlier greenhouses. It was designed for fixed citrus trees in heated beds. Forty orange trees, trained up trellises, were recorded in the citrus house in 1842. It was later described as a winter garden for 'promenading in dull weather'. The glass house leans against a wall which appears to be part of an earlier structure, whilst the rear lean-tos were for fruit and general storage.

Exterior

Long lean-to glass house with pavillions at each end. Fully glazed and on a low limestone plinth with chamfered top edge. Short upright section, 1 pane high, above which is a gambrel roof. Vertical wooden struts, between which are overlapping panes of glass with curved ends. Every 4th strut is heavier. Opening lights, 4 panes wide and 1 pane high, horizontally hung and operated by interior iron mechanism. They are located along the top and in the short upright section at the bottom. Short central glazed door 4 panes wide. The sill of the door is lower than the plinth, and the pitched roof section above is horizontally hung like the windows. The rubble stone wall supporting the glass house has a stone coping.

The tall narrow flanking pavilions have glazed pitched hipped roofs at right angles to the main range. They have rendered stone facades with flat heads and low parapets and are built on plinths 3 courses high. Central doorways under recessed round heads (one bearing sign, Citrus House) containing late C20 panelled doors. Recessed oval panel above, and flanking full-height panels. The exterior side walls are of rubble stone, rendered to the W. Quoins to rear of E wall.

To the rear are 3 lean-to structures against the central dividing wall. In the centre is a loft, probably for drying or keeping fruit. It has a wide full-height central entrance with stone jambs, paved with stone, brick and part of a mill stone. Planked doors with timber lintels and stone jambs lead off to the L and R. Loft above. The E front wall projects slightly and has no openings. The W front has 3 ventilation slits and 2 wide boarded openings with stone sills to the loft. To the E is a glazed lean-to with door to E end. A late C20 toilet block is to the W, of rubble stone with slate roof, wooden planked doors and small windows.

Interior

No access to interior at time of inspection, but decorative cast iron heating vents are visible in the floor.

Reason for designation

Listed as a large glass-house of early date retaining considerable architectural character. Group value with orangery and other structures at Margam Park.