This superb albumen photograph of Chatsworth's Great Conservatory is likely to date from the 1870s - it was something that in its day would undoubtedly been considered to be a truly exotic wonder. The damage on the right of the picture does not take away anything from the scene.

William Adam described the Conservatory in 1857: "this immense mountain of glass might be compared to three square half cones truncated at each end. The exterior base of the upper one resting on the apex of the two others ; ... the whole has a very grand effect".^[1]

The following lengthy description is taken from Black's Guide of 1864.

"THE GRAND CONSERVATORY was, before the advent of the Hyde Park Palace of Industry, the finest erection of the kind in existence. The form of the building, which covers about an acre of ground, is compared by one writer to the hull of a vessel turned upside down, with a smaller one on each side. "In description," the writer adds, "this may not sound well, but in reality nothing can be more effective than the appearance, or grander than the effect, of this immense mountain of glass, with no visible means of support or adhesion, and apparently kept together by some unknown power." The height of the central transept is 67 feet, with a span of 70. It rests on two rows of iron pillars, 28 feet high. The plan of the conservatory is a parallelogram 277 feet by 123 ; it is heated by hot water, the pipes conveying which would reach, if placed in one continuous line, not less than six miles. Upwards of 70,000 square feet of glass were required for the roofs. A gallery runs round the building at about two-thirds of its height, the steps to which are formed in a mass of rock-work. It is difficult to conceive a more enchanting sight than that which greets the eye as we enter at the elegant Grecian portico at the north end. The talent of the architect and taste of the landscape-gardener have done everything to gratify the eye, and excite the imagination. The light airy effect of the glass roofs, the balmy air, the light and shade struggling for the mastery, the noble array of tropical vegetation, and the myriads of humming birds of every colour flying about, transport us for a time to the regions of perpetual summer, and away to the gardens of enchantment. Here, on each side of the carriage-drive, which passes up the centre of the Conservatory, we have tall palms, such as give vigour to the swamps of South America; plantains and bananas from China, the East Indies and Mauritius, with tall, aerial stems. and long flat green leaves; dragons-blood trees, the papyrus of the Nile, bamboos, and the useful India-rubber tree, with a myriad of others, conveying the mind to the burning tropics. "All the choicest and rarest floral productions that have been discovered are here in open borders, planted in a soil suited to the nature of each species; and the temperature is so skilfully managed that each plant, or shrub, or tree, rejoices and flourishes in that degree of warmth that is best adapted to its own individual nature."

THE GALLERY, which is supported on elegant brackets, affords a most delightful prospect of the interior; and indeed the view from the Gallery is perhaps more striking than that which is obtained from below.

The large pool of water entitled the AQUARIUM is enlivened with numerous gold fish, and rendered natural by the irregularity of its outline, and the masses of rock-work disposed about it.

To Sir Joseph Paxton is due the credit of designing and superintending the erection of this conservatory, as well as arranging its contents. Near the south end of the conservatory are some portions of marble from the temple of Minerva at Sunium. They were brought to this country by Sir Augustus Clifford, in the Euryalus The following is a copy of the Earl of Carlisle's lines on the pedestal :-

"These fragments stood on Sunium's airy steep,
They rear'd aloft Minerva's guardian shrine,
Beneath them roll'd the blue Ægean deep.
And the Greek pilot hail'd them as divine.

Such was e'en their look of calm repose,
As wafted round them came the sounds of tight,
When the glad shout of conquering Athens rose
O'er the long track of Persia's broken flight.

Though clasped by prostrate worshippers no more,
They yet shall breathe a thrilling lesson here;
Though distant from their own immortal shore,
The spot they grace is still to freedom dear"."^[2]

J. B. Firth, writing in 1908, recounted how the "sixth duke used to drive a little carriage with four ponies and outriders through this conservatory, and he had milestones - think of it ! - in his garden walks to tell him how far he was from home"^[3].

Early 20th century postcard. A similar view of the conservatory's interior. The tall plant with the huge paddle shaped ribbed leaves is a banana plant. Another specimen is closer to the entrance on the left hand side.

Unfortunately, it was not possible to heat the Conservatory during the First World War because of both coal and labour shortages^[4]. The exotic plants withered and died as they were unable to withstand the Derbyshire winters in the unheated building. It was undoubtedly both impractical and too costly to re-stock post war and the labour needed to maintain it would have been both more expensive and less plentiful so the Duke of Devonshire decided it had to go.

The huge glasshouse was demolished in 1920 in a rather spectacular fashion. Demolition experts had concluded that removing the thousand tons of ironwork and 40,000 panes of glass would take years, so it had been scheduled to be blown up on Saturday 22 May 1920. However, there seem to have been a couple of hitches and the destruction of this famous structure was delayed^[5]. The assembled crowd had to go home, though many returned on Monday morning, including holiday makers who had been visiting the house^[6].

The newspapers had a field day. Many reports said that the explosion could be heard seven miles away^[7]. One paper claimed that steel fragments smashed one of the windows at Chatsworth House and embedded themselves in the staircase. Lord and Lady Hartington were said to have been in the house at the time but fortunately no-one was hurt^[8]. Another report said they were in the garden and that the metal had embedded itself in a book in the library. However, this was contradicted by yet another account of the events which stated categorically that there was no truth in the story about the lump of metal. There must have been a few red faces in various newspaper offices, especially as the demolition did not take place quite when it was planned^[5].

The Belper paper was a little less dramatic: "it was blown up with high explosives between 10 o'clock and 11 o'clock on Whit Monday." although dismantling the structure had begun some three month before. Mr. White of Darley Dale had removed most of the glass, but heavy stone and large iron pillars had to be dislodged, hence the need for explosives (mostly gelignite). The expert shot-firers were under the direction of Mr. Baxter of Matlock. Similar operations continued for a few days afterwards and a week later there was very little left intact. The windows of Chatsworth House, which was over a quarter of a mile from the site, were open during the blasting to prevent any concussion.^[6] Nevertheless, such a large quantity of smashed stone and metal must have taken some time to clear.

As the conservatory was being prepared for demolition a story emerged about its bananas ; we can see several banana plants in both images here, planted amongst the various ferns and palms. The Pacific island of Fiji was said to owe a large part of its trade with Australia and New Zealand to the great conservatory at Chatsworth. The Fiji banana is the "Musa Cavendishi" plant originally sent to the Duke of Devonshire by a collector many years before. The plant had grown successfully in the conservatory, and was given the family name. Some roots/plants were taken by mission ship to Samoa, they spread to Tonga and from there to Fiji^[9]. The variety is also grown in the Canaries and the West Indies.

Cavendish Bananas were being grown in the Victorian Conservatory at Pearson Park, Kingston upon Hull, in 1930, having "taken some months to develop", it was said to be the best flavoured of all bananas^[10]. Plants are still grown in the Display House at Chatsworth, where they are well protected because of the risk of a strain of Panama disease (or Fusarium wilt). Not everything was lost by the demolition of the Grand Conservatory.

References:

^[1] Adam, W. (1857, 6th edtn.) "The Gem of the Peak; or Matlock Bath and Its Vicinity. ..." John and Charles Mozley, Derby, and 6, Paternoster Row, London; Bemrose and Sons, W. and W. Pike, and Wilkins and Sons Derby, Bemrose and Sons, Matlock Bath ; ......

^[2] "Black's Tourist Guide to Derbyshire" (1864) pub. Adam and Charles Black, Edinburgh, edited by Llewellynn Jewitt.

^[3] Firth, J. B. (1908) "Highways and Byways in Derbyshire" MacMillan & Co., London.

^[4] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 21 February 1920. The Great Palm House to be Demolished.

^[5] "Derbyshire Times", Saturday, 29 May 1920. Notes by the Way. "The daily papers on Monday morning amused their readers by a very graphic description of the blowing up of the remains of the famous conservatory at Chatsworth. We were told on that day that the dismantling was completed on Saturday ... Very nice, but unfortunately for the chroniclers the explosion, owing to one or two unexpected happenings, did not come off on Saturday. It was postponed until Monday and not completed even then, so the daily papers were only 24 hours too soon with their description. Another startling account from the same source (which we have every reason to believe was Matlock), appeared in the evening papers on Wednesday to the effect that a lump of metal had been blown into Chatsworth House. We are authoritatively informed that there is not the slightest truth in this statement. Certainly, the report had the good sense to say no one was injured!"

^[6] "Belper News", 4 June 1920. Now No More. Chatsworth Conservatory Demolished.

^[7] "Sheffield Independent" Monday 24 May 1920. also Sheffield Daily Telegraph", same date. The latter reported that "During the dismantling of the great conservatory .... explosives were being used to remove the ironwork and a piece of metal, weighing about 1lb. was hurled a distance of 500 yards. It smashed through one of the court windows and into the book gallery, where it embedded itself into one of the books forming the priceless collection at the Palace in the Peak. Lord and Lady Hartington were in the grounds at the time, but fortunately not in the danger zone. The incident caused some little excitement."

^[8] "Nottingham Evening Post", 27 May 1920. The final explosion had taken place the previous day.

^[9] "Derbyshire Times", 13 March 1920.

^[10] "Hull Daily Mail", 25 June 1930. They are still grown in the Park's Victorian Conservatory.

^[11] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 24 September 1920.