Mysterious Disappearance of Glasshouses: What Our Images Show Is All That's Left of These Marvelous Buildings
In the picturesque Surrey Hills, the historic property of Cherkley Court once owned by Abraham Dixon, a successful Birmingham businessman known for his cutlery and gun production, has been a subject of interest. The property, now transformed into a five-star hotel and spa named Beaverbrook by Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, was recently featured by Melanie Bryan, a freelance picture editor and writer who served as the Archive Manager at our platform magazine.
Bryan's focus was on the glasshouses at Cherkley Court, which were a challenge to photograph due to humidity and fogging. These glasshouses, with their unique contents, remain missing to this day, leaving a mystery surrounding the fate of the botanical collections.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Dixon's gardens was the presence of the Victoria Regia and Victoria Amazonica water lilies, housed in purpose-built, heated, and electrically lit homes. These water lilies, once a spectacle at Cherkley Court, are no longer to be found. The only other known contemporary examples of the Victoria Amazonica water lily in the UK were housed at Chatsworth and Kew, but their status is unknown.
Dixon, in his late seventies, was somewhat scorched in the face while trying to extinguish a fire caused by a lightning strike in July 1893, which gutted a large portion of Cherkley Court. Despite the setback, Dixon was undeterred and work to rebuild the property began in September 1893, with an estimated completion date of May 1894.
Dixon was a philanthropist, using some of his wealth to fund the Homeopathic Hospital and Dispensary in Birmingham and local charities. He retired to the Surrey Hills in about 1860 due to health issues.
The our platform Image Archive, a comprehensive collection documenting British culture and heritage, contains more than 150,000 images, with an additional 50,000 assets scheduled to be added this year. This Archive, which is expected to be completed in Summer 2025, offers a wealth of information about Cherkley Court and its history. To search and purchase images directly from the Archive, registration is required.
Melanie Bryan, who currently resides and works in rural Ryedale, North Yorkshire, has been instrumental in documenting and sharing the stories of properties like Cherkley Court. However, the search results do not provide any specific information on what happened to the botanical collections of Melanie Bryan's Cherkley Court after Max Aitken purchased the property in 1907. If further information is needed, additional or different sources may be consulted.
- The transformation of Cherkley Court into a five-star hotel and spa, named Beaverbrook, highlights a shift in the lifestyle and hospitality sector of the Surrey Hills.
- In her exploration of the glasshouses at Cherkley Court, Melanie Bryan, the freelance picture editor and writer, also delved into the fashion-and-beauty side of the property's past, focusing on the unique botanical collections.
- The libraries and study rooms within the restored Cherkley Court, now offering a luxury hotel experience, could potentially host engaging discussions on topics such as gardening, books, and entertainment, reflecting various aspects of home-and-garden and lifestyle interests.
