The Orangery is the centre piece of the Italian garden at Belton House. It’s built using cast iron and glass and is faced in local Ancaster Stone, and was the first iron and glass domestic conservatory ever built - and it was so extraordinary that the drawings were exhibited at the Royal Academy’s 43rd exhibition in 1811. And on top of that it’s a fantastic looking building that’s a favourite part of Belton for me.
We first visited Belton last August when we were staying at the lodge at Easton Gardens. We’re back in Lincolnshire for a few days staying in one of the villages just north of Grantham, so couldn’t resist a visit while we were here. After refuelling at the cafe, the orangery was next on my list, and I wasn’t disappointed.
I’d looked at my photos from our first visit recently, and I’m not sure why I hadn’t shared them here. Maybe I’ll do a ‘compare and contrast’ post for the differences between an August and March visit at some point, but in the meantime here’s some of the photos from our most recent visit.
I hadn’t remembered there being so many statues, but this time that’s what caught my eye. There was also more colour than I remembered and the plant below is one that I’ll be getting my plant app out on. It’s definitely got rhubarb and custard vibes.
I think we’ll have a few more visits to Belton House, there’s much more of the park to explore than we’ve scratched the surface of yet. I’m also keen to get another look in the house, especially as things start to return to more normal times, our first visit was during Covid, and I’m sure that, understandably, the rooms and collections available to view were reduced.
