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Jun 21, 2023

More details about King Charles' Cotswold greenhouse as plans get go

The plant nursery will also have an educational purpose Never miss the latest local news again by signing up to our Daily Newsletter We have more newsletters Never miss the latest local news again by

The plant nursery will also have an educational purpose

Never miss the latest local news again by signing up to our Daily Newsletter

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The leafy Gloucestershire home of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla is set to get even greener, following Cotswold District Council's approval of a large expansion of the greenhouses at Highgrove House near Tetbury. The large new greenhouse and associated cold frames will increase growing capacity by around one third.

The designers of the King's new greenhouse at Highgrove, Blake Architects, have said that the estate requires additional growing space just to maintain the wide range of young plants needed to maintain the green-fingered monarch's leafy Cotswolds estate. Once built, it will be one of three large greenhouses in the grounds of the estate, but with an additional educational purpose.

The greenhouses at the estate are a 200-metre walk from King's residence and adjacent to Grade-II listed Barley Court, a converted 17th century farmhouse that is used by the Prince's Trust to teach traditional craft skills, with a focus on textiles, stonemasonry and plant-based masterclasses. The Trust has said the new greenhouses will also be used for educational purposes by these craft workshops.

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The additional planting capacity required from the greenhouse and the cold frames, which are used to shelter plants from the elements, had to be balanced with the historic site's heritage, as well as the restrictions of being within the Cotswolds AONB, a conservation area, and near a few Grade-II listed buildings. As such, the new structures will be built to look like the greenhouses already on site.

The planning officer's report approving the build states: "The greenhouse would be constructed on a red brick dwarf wall with an Accoya timber frame above and aluminium rainwater goods, and the cold frames would also be glass and timber on brick plinths.

"A short extension to the existing dry stone wall is also proposed, along with the creation of compacted gravel paths and the installation of short flight of new external stone steps The development would provide additional nursery space for young plants in support of the upkeep of the gardens of Highgrove House."

To meet planning requirements, the vertical scale of the new has been kept to a minimum with low eaves to minimise disruption to the gorgeous views over the King's estate. The application process for the build was managed by the Duchy of Cornwall, which own and operate Highgrove for the monarch.

With King Charles' accession to the throne, the management of Highgrove House transferred to Prince William through the Duchy of Cornwall, which has managed the estate since it was purchased in 1980. The King and Queen Consort lease the property from the Prince to use as their family home.

You can view the planning proposal at Highgrove House using the Cotswold District Council's planning website, searching for the reference 23/01712/FUL.

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