Iconic octagonal glasshouse for RHS Hyde Hall

A new, iconic glasshouse commission is to form the centerpiece of the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) new edible gardens at RHS Garden Hyde Hall.

In a partnership with the RHS, Hartley Botanic has unveiled the new glasshouse with its unique octagonal design, stately roof lantern and a 14 metre span, set to provide a visible landmark far beyond the gardens themselves.

The glasshouse joins a long list of public commissions for the Lancashire-based manufacturer from some of the UK’s leading horticultural organisations and institutions including National Trust properties, Kew Gardens and Hampton Court.

The Hyde Hall glasshouse will be a bespoke and original version of the manufacturer’s Victorian glasshouse model. The octagonal shape will allow for an impressive growing volume and allowing light to flood in from every angle. Externally, the structure harks back to classic and beautiful feats of Victorian engineering but internally can be controlled by high-tech ventilation and heating systems.

A span of 14 metres pushes the boundaries of what is possible with a system of aluminium extrusions which are self supporting however, Hartley Botanic’s engineering expertise, honed over 79 years, has achieved a light yet strong structure of a size and scale which generally requires steel supports to hold construction in place. The challenge of the glasshouse’s dimensions also requires aluminium extrusions and individual panes of glass which are the largest available in the industry today.

Each pane of glass will have individual bespoke frames and as there is no glass-to- glass contact broken glass will be easier to replace and can be done from the outside.

Robert Brett, Curator of RHS Garden Hyde Hall commented: “We wanted something which visitors could really enjoy to form the core of our new edible garden. The octagonal shape of the Hartley Botanic Glasshouse is the perfect centrepiece to the surrounding circular landscaping and it enables us to showcase some of the more tender exotics as well as increase our capacity for year-round displays. We hope it will inspire many visitors to try their hand at edible growing.”

Hartley Botanic managing director, Tom Barry, points out that the commission is a really exciting one for the company: “It is always a thrill to work on projects we know the public will be able to enjoy, but the scale of the brief and challenge to create a centerpiece in keeping with the garden’s circular landscaping was very interesting,” he said.

This year (2017) Hartley Botanic have been awarded five stars for their displays of handmade greenhouses and glasshouses at all the major RHS Shows – RHS Chelsea, RHS Chatsworth, RHS Hampton Court and RHS Tatton Park Flower Show.

Hartley Botanic greenhouses and glasshouses are made to order and range from small patio models to imposing glasshouses. For information on their range visit: https://hartley-botanic.co.uk/

For information on RHS Garden Hyde Hall please visit:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall