Blenheim Palace Orangery to undergo £2m conservation

Published by

Daniel Face

From left to right—Multi Tradesman Daniel Johnstone, Head of Built Heritage Kelly Whitton, Site Manager Craig Smith, and Trainee Manager Harry Coley Smith

The Orangery at Blenheim is the focus of a £2 million conservation project to combat the effects of climate change, funded entirely by visits to the Oxfordshire palace.

Work will soon be underway to remove the glass ceiling from the 18th century Orangery and replace it with a timber and slate structure, in keeping with architect John Vanbrugh’s original design. This is thought to be the first project of its kind involving a Grade 1 Listed building.

As its name suggests, the Orangery was originally a greenhouse with large windows to support the growth of oranges and lemons over the winter. The current roof was only installed in 1861 after the original was damaged in a fire.

Leading the project is Kelly Whitton, Head of Built Heritage at Blenheim Palace. She said: “We don’t actually know exactly what the Orangery looked like pre-fire. There is very little information in the archives, and post 1716, due to dwindling finances, Vanbrugh’s historic architectural plans from 1704 would have been scaled back.

“We are restoring the Orangery to what we understand to be its original form, based on research and pre-fire evidence remaining on site.

“Slate combined with modern insulation will be a far more effective insulator than glass, saving energy and helping Blenheim reach its green goals.”

Since its days as a greenhouse, Blenheim’s Orangery has been used as a theatre, art gallery, and events space, and now serves lunch and afternoon tea to thousands of visitors each year.

The palace is working closely with Historic England to ensure that the work, materials, and architecture remain close to the original design, while also being green and sustainable.

Morwenna Slade, Head of Historic Building Climate Change Adaptation at Historic England, said: “Thoughtful projects such as this demonstrate how conservation can be used to respond to the impacts of climate change, forming positive and proactive solutions.

“Climate change presents a range of challenges to the continued care and use of our historic buildings and sites. Blenheim’s plans for the Orangery are commendable - they successfully combine the need for change with the awareness of climate resilience.”

The Orangery is due for completion in Autumn 2023. In the meantime, Blenheim will continue to serve visitors at Clementine’s on the Lawn, a glass marquee opening on the grounds in April.

Daniel Face

Born and raised in Berkshire, Dan fell into journalism after completing his bachelor’s degree in English at UCL. Writing for The Business Magazine and local Biz News sites has given him the opportunity to chat with all manner of small business owners and share their success stories with a wider audience. Outside of work, Dan enjoys live music, board games and quiz shows, and is making a slow but persistent effort to learn Spanish.