Guernsey Press

Rotten rafters the reason for Candie greenhouses’ closure

ROTTEN timbers are the cause of the indefinite closure of the Candie Garden glasshouses.

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Both of the protected greenhouses in Candie Gardens are shut because of rotting timbers and the cost of repairing them has yet to be determined. (Picture by Sophie Rabey, 25874512)

The Nerine Festival is normally held in the glasshouses each year, but it was announced last week that the poor state of the structures meant it would have to move. It will now be held at Guernsey Gardens.

A States spokesman said both glasshouses were currently shut.

‘The lower glasshouse was closed in 2018 due to rot in a rafter and the associated area,’ he said.

‘The upper glasshouse was closed in August this year also due to a rot in a rafter. The rafters and the associated timbers will need to be replaced once funding has been approved, but the cost of these repairs has not yet been determined.

‘Whilst there have been extensive renovations to both glasshouses in recent years, some of the older timbers are still in place, so care has to be taken to keep them well ventilated.’

Both glasshouses are monitored for signs of decay or any other damage.

The glasshouses are designated as protected monuments and date back to the 1790s.

It is believed they were both constructed as vineries for Peter Mourant, a member of the Priaulx family.

He was responsible for the construction of Candie House in the 1790s, now the Priaulx Library.

Candie House and gardens were bequested to the States in 1886 and became a library in 1889.

Up until that time the lower garden provided fruit and vegetables for the house and the upper garden was a grassed pleasure garden with fine views to the sea.

n The Nerine Festival, which is organised by Plant Heritage Guernsey, will be held at Guernsey Gardens at La Ramee. It opens at 2.30pm on Saturday and will be open daily between 10am to 4pm until Saturday 19 October.