One aspect of Knockderry Castle that is sad is that the outbuildings have been left to decay or some cases complete deterioration. Knockderry cottage, the utility building, the orangery, and possibly a gazebo(?) have been left to a range of disrepair from minor (cottage) to a pile of rubble (the orangery), to only a few foundation pieces left (the gazebo?). The tennis court remains as only an outline in the yard. As has been the case with so much of Knockderry, we have no photographic record. However, thanks to a few people who have responded to this blog, we may have some leads on more archival photographs—more to come!
The orangery fascinates us as there are few metal arches that remain only in fragments and shards of glass here and there. The internet says this of orangeries: The Victorian Orangery is an architectural curiosity. Historically, it was a type of structure not seen before and only became popular in the 19th century. In this period, it was defined as a garden room extension to a building, designed to provide a place for growing citrus trees in cold or temperate climates.
The Knockderry orangery is quite a distance from the main castle, but is close to where the neglected apple orchard remains. Here are a few examples of how it may have looked:
