Raising the roof at the walled garden (From Gazette & Herald)

Raising the roof at the walled garden

Helmsley Walled Garden took a step towards completing its Victorian Orchid House this week as the central roof was erected.

Work has been going on round the clock to ensure the 115-foot long glasshouse project, costing £130,000 is ready for its grand opening in May.

Builders J M and E M Kendall have been carefully rescuing and restoring all the existing materials to make sure the final building is authentic and as close to the original glasshouse as possible.

"We're using as much of the original materials as we can - but obviously age has taken its toll, and it takes a bit of work to get everything ready for the rebuilding," said builder Brian Clark.

He said now the central roof was up you can really see how the new glasshouse is going to look.

"I've no doubt the new Orchid House will put the Walled Garden firmly on the Great Gardens map - where it deserves to be," said head gardener Paul Radcliffe

"We're already attracting more than 30,000 visitors a year and hope the Orchid House will mean very many more local people and visitors come to share and enjoy the great work that is going on."

The bricks will also be a way for the Walled Garden, a registered charity with a Horticultural Therapy Policy for the disabled and those with special needs, to raise cash to restore other glasshouses in the gardens.

In March, the garden's 'Adopt a Brick' scheme will be launched for local people and businesses to leave their mark on the Orchid House for ever.

Updated: 16:39 Friday, February 23, 2001