Adelina Patti, the famous opera diva and former owner of Craig-y-Nos Castle and Estate loved to entertain in style. She created a unique conservatory of grand proportions and gondola-like appearance in which to entertain her guests. This was furnished in classical style, supplemented by many mature plants such as tropical ferns and palms, which were regarded as rare and exotic at the time. The atmosphere inside the conservatory must have been sub- tropical and the castle's substantial heating system, which consumed up to 30 tons of coal per month in winter, would have provided supplementary heating as required.
When not entertaining guests Adelina Patti would spend hours in the conservatory reading, relaxing and practicing her music.
Iron production was pioneered in the Swansea Valley and Adelina Patti made good use of the new technolgy, using cast iron frames to construct her conservatory, in which she used decorative coloured glass for extra effect. The stunning views over the castle grounds and River Tawe are still just as enjoyable today.
We are retaining all the original ironwork and where necessary replacing the original glass with similar material. The only adoption of more modern technology has been the fibre glassing of the felted roof.
The conservatory is a listed building and we hope to agree specifications for completing the renovation in time to open it for wedding receptions in April 2008.
