Wentworth Woodhouse, Camellia House

Overview

The Grade II* listed Camellia House at Wentworth Woodhouse, originally built as a Tea House in 1738, served as a tranquil escape for the estate’s aristocratic owners. Later, it became home to some of Britain’s first camellias, brought from China at a cost equivalent to a housemaid’s yearly wage. After falling into disrepair in the 1980s, this historical glasshouse was placed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. MCA was appointed to oversee the full restoration and transformation of the Camellia House into a dining venue, restoring its former glory while preserving its historical charm.

Challenges and Solutions

The restoration of the Camellia House required intricate conservation work and innovative engineering solutions due to its delicate condition:

• Severe structural decay: by the time the Preservation Trust acquired the property in 2017, the Camellia House had lost its glass roof, and the camellias had grown unchecked to over 30 feet. Our York Heritage Team conducted high-level inspections and designed temporary propping to stabilise the ironwork roof. A structural monitoring programme was put in place for the stone façade to manage ongoing stability as restoration progressed.
• Historic conservation requirements: the restoration required careful handling to retain the building’s historic features. Our team specified and scheduled repairs to the stone fabric and designed interventions to convert the space into a café. The wrought iron trusses were assessed, load-tested and repaired before being re-installed to honour the building’s original architectural integrity.
• Site enhancements for visitor accessibility: as part of the project, our Leeds Civils Team designed a new 230-space car park, relocating visitor parking to better serve the restored facility. To support the site’s infrastructure, the team assessed the existing underground system and provided attenuation measures to ensure sustainable drainage capacity.

MCA’s Contribution

We played a vital role in the conservation and adaptation of the Camellia House. Our contributions included:

• Heritage conservation and structural stabilisation: we conducted high-level inspections, implemented temporary propping solutions and scheduled conservation repairs to ensure the structure’s safety and durability.
• Adaptive engineering solutions: the restoration involved re-glazing the roof, repairing stonework and re-profiling internal gutters to support the building’s new function as a dining space.
• Enhanced visitor experience: our Civils Team designed and implemented a 230-space car park, enhancing accessibility for visitors and reducing strain on the existing drainage system through improved attenuation solutions.

Results to Date

The Camellia House, once forgotten and near ruin, has been meticulously restored and is now a vibrant dining destination. Removed from the Heritage at Risk Register, the project has earned accolades, including:

• The Green Apple Environmental Award for Innovation in Environmental Improvement
• The Georgian Group award for Reuse of a Georgian Building
• An RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) regional award in the Refurbishment / Revitalisation category
• The Highly Commended Award in the 2025 AABC Conservation Awards