“And dating back to the late 1800s, that partition has been removed and what’s happened now is we’ve got this beautiful, huge open airy space.
“So that’s as it was originally intended and I think that’s what’s going to be most striking when people come in.”
New laminated and toughened glass has been installed to withstand the impact of storms, while deeper gutters and extra downpipes are better able to cope with flash flooding.
Fiona Inches, horticulturist and glasshouse manager, said the new, clean glass lets in more light now.
“There were cracked panes of glass and the iron work was down to a kind of skeleton, really, really in poor condition,” she said.
“We’ve now got every single pane of glass is replaced. It now shines.
“All the iron work has been restored, repainted, and the stone work has been reconditioned.”