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Kew Gardens boss advises on Winter Gardens project

Andrew Turner/BBC The front entrance of the Winter Gardens and illuminated signageAndrew Turner/BBC
The Winter Gardens will undergo a £19m restoration and repurposing, commencing in 2025

An expert on Victorian glasshouses has visited a restoration project on the Norfolk coast to offer advice.

Richard Barley, director of gardens at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, visited Great Yarmouth's Winter Gardens on Tuesday.

He said he was enthused by the £19m investment to restore the last ironwork glasshouse in the UK that sits on a seaside promenade.

The project has been awarded money from the government's Town Deal fund and National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Work is due to start in March 2025 and the venue should be opened in 2027.

Andrew Turner/BBC Richard Barley, director of gardens at Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, inside the Winter Gardens. Andrew Turner/BBC
Richard Barley, director of gardens at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is sharing his knowledge of restoring Victorian glass houses

Mr Barley said: "This is an extraordinary Victorian glasshouse structure and it's about to be brought back to life.

"It will be fully restored and be turned into a multi-use facility that people should come to enjoy for years into the future, not just local people but it will draw people from across the country and I'm sure internationally as well.

He added: "The project team has been across a range of issues, but some of the things to look at are to do with moisture in the metalwork, drainage with rainfall, temperature moderation, ventilation - so not only the plants, but people can be comfortable year round.

"We have been able to offer a little advice here and there based on our experience at Kew, but I think it will be a great outcome."

Andrew Turner/BBC The exterior of the Great Yarmouth Winter GardensAndrew Turner/BBC
The Winter Gardens building in Great Yarmouth is the last ironwork glasshouse in the UK that sits on a seaside promenade
Andrew Turner/BBC Architect Faye Davies pictured next to scaffolding inside the Winter GardensAndrew Turner/BBC
Architect Faye Davies says the expert advice from Kew Gardens will help the project

Architect Faye Davies said she often overhears tourists who are excited about the restoration and the chance to visit when the work is completed.

She said: "It's actually really invaluable having Kew [Gardens] here, and Richard [Barley] in particular.

"Kew have got 350 years worth of experience of historic glasshouses, so they've been there, done that, got the tee-shirt, so to speak.

"We've presented our design, talked about what the mechanics of things are and he's saying, 'Have you thought about this? Try this,' and we are learning off each other.

"I'm really confident, we've got such an experienced design team on this job. We're going to get this right."

Andrew Turner/BBC Roof trusses at the top of the lantern of the Great Yarmouth Winter GardensAndrew Turner/BBC
The iron frame will be cleaned, restored and repainted with much of the glass replaced
Andrew Turner/BBC Mike Maunder, consultant in horticulture and biodiversity, inside the Winter GardensAndrew Turner/BBC
Horticulture and biodiversity consultant Mike Maunder says the finished restoration will "astonish" people

Horticultural and biodiversity consultant Mike Maunder said having advice from Kew Gardens would benefit the entire restoration.

"We're getting advice from one of the masters in the business".

"You're going to see a transformation from a skeleton to a venue which is going to astonish people.

"The great history here in Great Yarmouth is creating places for people to go while they're on holiday and stepping out into another world. We're going to create that other world."

Landscape gardener Jenny Coe said the project will also require involvement from local people.

"We want to invite the community in, the residents and the people who live here as well as the visitors," she said.

"We want people to learn in this place and also to help with the planting and help guide people around."

Andrew Turner/BBC Landscape gardener Jennifer Coe standing near artists impressions inside the Winter GardensAndrew Turner/BBC
Landscape gardener Jenny Coe says she wants the finished project to be a place of learning for the local community
The Director of Gardens at Kew is lending expertise to Great Yarmouth’s Winter Gardens.

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