The glasshouse at Helensburgh’s iconic Hill House looks set to be demolished after planning officials gave the go-ahead this week.
The National Trust for Scotland said the current glasshouse has ‘deteriorated beyond the point of repair’ and asked for permission to knock it down and build a temporary replacement, wanting that is was putting staff at risk.
The building is used by the property’s gardening team and occasionally by external parties, and the trust said the main property’s A-listing does not mention the glasshouse and it was probably made by Henry Hope & Sons of Birmingham, who built glasshouses at Birmingham Botanic Gardens with identical frame design and stamps.
A document submitted to Argyll and Bute Council by the trust’s regional building surveyor Brigit Luffingham said: “Background research into the glasshouse suggests that it had little to do with Charles Rennie Mackintosh – it was Mr Blackie’s idea and was installed by him after the house was finished.
“Unfortunately the condition of the timber has been allowed to deteriorate significantly and there are now sections of the frame which are failing.
“The overall condition of the glasshouse is very poor with an increasing risk to user safety due to past evidence of falling glazing.
“Without intervention the timbers will continue to rot away.
“Unfortunately the timber repairs required to the structure are extensive and not isolated to individual elements.
She added that the existing metal frame and other iron sections might be reused in future.
There were no objections to the proposal from the public or Historic Environment Scotland.
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