Conservatory, Winter Gardens - Most Haunted Castle

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Conservatory, Winter Gardens

Castle History

Castle History - The Conservatory and Winter Gardens

Conservatory at Craig y Nos Castle Haunted hotel, Swansea, Wales
The Conservatory, Craig y Nos Castle Haunted hotel, Swansea, Wales
Derelict Conservatory at Craig y Nos Castle Haunted hotel, Swansea, Wales
Craig y Nos Castle Haunted Hotel's Conservatory, Powys, under restoration
Craig y Nos castle Conservatory after restoration 2008 Upper Swansea Valley, Powys
Conservatory at Craig y Nos Castle Haunted Hotel, Swansea Valley, Wales, before restoration 2006/7
Conservatory balcony at Craig y Nos Castle Haunted Hotel South Wales 2009

The Craig y Nos Castle Conservatory would have been the place where Patti and her guests would gather to savour the beautiful view to the hills beyond.

The Craig y Nos Castle Conservatory
was derelict when we took over the Castle, but it has now been restored and is a popular venue for Wedding Receptions, specifically Wedding Breakfasts. Some before, during and after pictures are shown here.  

From the conservatory, Adelina Patti's guests would walk through an aviary of exotic birds (now restored and in use as the Gym
- see below) before entering the huge winter garden.






The winter gardens (shown in column of pictures on the right) were all covered in glass to protect the many plants Patti imported from all over the world.

This building was donated to the people of Swansea in her will, and was moved to Swansea where it has undergone a couple of restorations. It is now known as "The Patti Pavilion".

The first make-over, by Anneka Rice, was more of a quickie for TV. The work was not very long-lasting though it served as a catalyst for a more recent and major restoration.

The Council have since spent around £1m considerably upgrading and restoring the building and its future overlooking Swansea Bay is now assured (see pictures below and right).

The winter gardens were another architectural feature built for the Baroness at the end of the 19th century.


In its place at the Castle there is now a very ordinary 1950's building that used to house the South Ward and North Ward when the Castle was a Hospital.

More recently the old North Ward
and South Ward has been a call centre office for the cleaning agency business of SelClene. This in turn has been moved back to London, so now the offices are empty and used for storage.

These rooms are available for rent, for offices, training schools, or for any other purpose if someone is interested!

A spacious building with a soaring roof and made mainly from glass, the Winter Gardens were two buildings joined by the Aviary where the Diva would promenade with her guests among tropical plants whilst exotic birds flew within.  

A pair of iron fountains fashioned as cranes with multi-coloured plumage shed rainbow light from their falling waters and captivated all who saw them.

Patti Pavilion in Swansea, South Wales
The former winter gardens at Craig y Nos, Wales, now the Patti Pavilion in Swansea
winter gardens at Craig y Nos, Wales, now Patti Pavilion in Swansea
Patti Pavilion at Swansea
Patti Pavilion at Swansea
Patti Pavilion in Swansea
Patti Pavilion at Swansea after restoration by Swansea Council
Artists sketch Conservatory at Craig y Nos Castle Haunted house Swansea Valley Wales 1888
Period picture Craig y Nos Castle Haunted Hotel Conservatory Powys, South Wales, 1910, glass roof and roof canopy
Patti Pavilion at Swansea, South Wales yellow flowers
Conservatory at Craig y Nos Castle Haunted Housel Wales 1915 wooden ceiling
Conservatory at Craig y Nos Castle Haunted Hotel in Wales 1918
Winter Gardens at Craig y Nos Caslte, Upper Swansea Valley, Powys, South Wales




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