The Orangery ~ Montacute House

The Orangery at Montacute House - The timber and glass roof of the orangery, which was added to the property in the 1840s, had fallen in under the weight of snow in 2012. A National Trust spokesman said the roof restoration presented a "huge jigsaw puzzle" because 2,380 glass panes all had to be refitted. The work cost £10,000, which was raised via a raffle. The glass panes were recorded and carefully removed and the roof dismantled, all done in sight of visitors who were able to climb to a platform on the scaffolding and see the work being carried out. The orangery was originally used to cover winter orange trees which spent the summer on the terrace by the house. Before it reopened, the building was repopulated with various plants.