Gibside Estate, Orangery

In 1772 Mary Eleanor Bowes started building a greenhouse called the Orangery with an ornamental pond outside. First referred to in the cash accounts as "The New Green House". The tall windows of the south east façade looked on to a paddock where an ornamental pond 50 feet across was made. The rear of the building had smaller windows because of its exposed position. It measured 60 feetby 40 feet9 inches. It was faced in ashlar. Hand made brick was used in the interior, with a lath and plaster finish. The building has been attributed to James Paine on stylistic grounds, but with no documentary evidence. The windows were large and elaborate. The arcade which fronted the building consisted of seven bays of Tuscan columns. There was no glass in the roof, but a shallow hipped roof of slate was masked by a balustrade decorated with urns. The small entrance lobbies prevented draughts reaching delicate plants. One entrance lobby was oval and had a fireplace and four decorative wall niches. The other lobby was rectangular with rounded corners and contained the heating system for the building. Part of the floor was excavated to hold a boiler and furnace. A central vaulted area was a coal store. The building is now ruinous. LISTED GRADE 2*. A ghostly figure has been seen gliding across the grounds towards the orangery, thought to be the spirit of Mary Eleanor Bowes. She had wished to be laid to rest at Gibside mausoleum, but was buried at Westminster Abbey in 1800.