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The History of Conservatories

25 September 2009

It might be hard to believe, but today's conservatories have evolved over thousands of years through improvements in technology. The modern conservatory can trace its routes back to structures built in the 19th Century such as the Palm House at Kew (1848), and Crystal Palace (1851).

The public had never seen buildings like these and feel in love with them, and so started the popularity of conservatories being added to British homes.

Nearly all major historical civilisations have shown an appreciation for plants and worked to incorporate them into their homes and palaces. While kings and emperors brought exotic plants into their buildings, the masses used timber structures to protect vulerable plants. But it was the Romans who were able to create the first conservatories as we know them today.

They found that by using thin sheets of a material called mica, they were able to protect plans from the elements, but most importantly let light in.

The increase in world trade, and specifically growth in the British Empire, brought home the need for conservatories. Strange and exotic plants were brought back from travels around the world, that could not surivive our harsh climate. The country recognised the value in studying these plants, and so embarked on building massive conservatories to house these fascinating new arrivals. The conservatories at Key Gardens and Crystal Place were born.

These early conservatories were built using small panes of glass and iron for the frames. They were huge undertakings and the cost to the public purse was significant. The public immediately fell in love with the buildings and they flocked to see the weird and wonderful plants within these glass houses.

Thanks to advances in manufacturing technology and processing, the price of producing large glass panes shrank, and manufacturing stronger and lighter iron frames became possible. The public could now afford to buy their own small conservatories.

The initial Victorian conservatories were made with relatively small glass panes. As these glass panes became larger, designs changed to the Edwardian and Georgian styles that we also know today.

Technology and efficiencies have also driven recent developments in conservatories. In the 1960's conservatories were built using wooden frames which proved better insulators, and aluminim which was far lighter and allowed for bigger, stronger conservatories. Even these improvements gave rooms which still essentially greenhouses for plants rather than comfortable rooms suitable for year-round use, liable to leaking or rot and often roofed with cold and noisy corrugated plastic. Modern PVC-u conservatories with double glazed frames and high-technology roofs in glass or polycarbonate offer low-maintenance well insulated versatile living spaces. Huge improvements in roof engineering ensure today's constructions in PVC-u are draft-free and leak-free, allowing them to be used as true extra living rooms, dining rooms, offices or playrooms for people rather than just for plants.