Work on Victorian Wentworth Castle glasshouse to start

The Grade II listed Victorian conservatory will be taken apart and fully restored

Restoration work has started on a Victorian glasshouse at Wentworth Castle Gardens near Barnsley.

The project will cost £3.7m, with support coming from sources including the European Union and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Grade II structure which was built by Thomas Wentworth in 1885 has been derelict for a number of years.

Anne Irish, Commercial Manager for the estate said the restoration work would bring the building back to glory.

'Dilapidated state'

"Our aim is to restore as much of it as possible.

"Apart from the restoration we will be adding to it too. What was once the potting shed we're going to turn it into an interpretation centre and add an education room.

"We're hoping to restore as much of the original structure as possible.

"It's a beautiful building even in its faded glory state. It's in a very dilapidated state."

Wentworth Castle Gardens said the glasshouse had received funding from a European Regional Development Fund of £820,000, as well as £25,000 raised by volunteers.

The Wentworth Estate has spent more than £17m already on the 500-acre site, since starting renovation work began in 2004.

It has renovated areas from gardens, parkland and woodland through to the Grade I listed circular outbuilding called the Rotunda.