Winter Gardens

The Winter Gardens is a Victorian cast-iron and glass building in Great Yarmouth, beside Wellington Pier. It is the only surviving seaside winter garden of its kind in England and once ranked among the three largest structures of this type in the country. John Watson and William Harvey built it in Torquay between 1878 and 1881, but it proved unsuccessful there. In 1903 or 1904 the Borough Council’s Surveyor, J. W. Cockrill, bought it for £1,300 and moved it by barge to Yarmouth without breaking a single pane. Cockrill added a brick-arched porch and later a maple floor for roller skating. The building has a rectangular plan about 52 metres long, with a square tower and lantern rising 25 metres above the west end. Its cast-iron frame carries a glazed roof supported by Corinthian and palmette capitals, and the walls are clad in Cockrill-Doulton tiles. In the late 20th century the roof glazing was renewed and an internal frame was inserted to strengthen the tower. By 2008 the structure had fallen into disrepair and was closed, later appearing on the Heritage at Risk Register. Visitors find a long hall filled with light from the iron-and-glass roof, its walls decorated with floral and scroll motifs. The west end holds an organ above the entrance, and the tower lantern once lit the interior. Restoration plans include new glazing, heating, cooling and rainwater systems, with planting and low-energy features. The work is expected to return the Winter Gardens to use by 2028, restoring its role as a landmark for concerts, skating and social gatherings.