THE HISTORY OF FOSTER & PEARSON
GLASSHOUSES AND COLDFRAMES
Foster & Pearson was founded in 1841 by horticultural buildings manufacturer Robert Foster and nurseryman John Pearson. It soon acquired an enviable reputation as the leading manufacturer of top quality glasshouses and coldframes – a position it has retained to this day.
As can be seen from the 1909 brochure (which can be downloaded by clicking here below), it supplied many of the great estates and houses the length and breadth of the country. The clientele included Queen Victoria at Windsor and Osborne House, the Duke of Bedford at Woburn Abbey, the Astors at Cliveden, the de Rothschilds at Ascott House, the Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth, and Lord Middleton at Wollaton and Birdsall. The company exported buildings worldwide – eg to South America, Africa, Belgium, Holland, Italy and Germany. Of particular note were projects for the botanical gardens of Hong Kong and Sydney.
Foster & Pearson was innovative in its design. Notable features included the minimal use of timber and allowing the maximum ingress of light through the use of iron fittings. Minimising the number of joints increased longevity, while an attractive lifting ridge ventilator provided superior weathering. These and many other attributes were standardised by the mid-1870s, and remain an integral part of today’s products.
SOME ORIGINAL EXAMPLES OF FOSTER & PEARSON
GLASSHOUSES AND COLDFRAMES
SOME ORIGINAL EXAMPLES OF
FOSTER & PEARSON
GLASSHOUSES AND COLDFRAMES
By popular demand, Foster & Pearson was re-established in Sussex in 2009 by Robert Jameson, who has a background in agricultural engineering and rural estate management. The unique offerings of today’s company are the provision of new glasshouses precisely created to the original Victorian designs, and the expert restoration of existing buildings.
Additional services include design, and the supply of heating, lighting, staging and other internal fittings.
The glasshouses are manufactured and fully assembled at the company’s works in Sussex, using a combination of highly-skilled craftsmen and modern machinery to produce products of unparalleled quality. Foster & Pearson is the sole remaining manufacturer of glasshouses of genuine Victorian design.
Recent commissions include work for The Royal Palaces, The National Trust, The Landmark Trust, The Artworkers’ Guild and various Heritage Lottery funded projects, as well as a growing portfolio of private clients.
By popular demand, Foster & Pearson was re-established in Sussex in 2009 by Robert Jameson, who has a background in agricultural engineering and rural estate management. The unique offerings of today’s company are the provision of new glasshouses precisely created to the original Victorian designs, and the expert restoration of existing buildings.
Additional services include design, and the supply of heating, lighting, staging and other internal fittings.
The glasshouses are manufactured and fully assembled at the company’s works in Sussex, using a combination of highly-skilled craftsmen and modern machinery to produce products of unparalleled quality. Foster & Pearson is the sole remaining manufacturer of glasshouses of genuine Victorian design.
Recent commissions include work for The Royal Palaces, The National Trust, The Landmark Trust, The Artworkers’ Guild and various Heritage Lottery funded projects, as well as a growing portfolio of private clients.
OUR RANGE OF SERVICES
OUR GLASSHOUSES & COLDFRAMES
The company’s glasshouses are available in clear span, three-quarter span and lean-to designs in a wide variety of sizes. These range from 15 to over 300ft in length, matched to varying depths and pitches. Bespoke features such as wings, porches, internal divisions, staging etc can all be provided to suit individual requirements.
OUR LOCATION
Hook Farm, West Chiltington Lane, Billingshurst, West Sussex, RH14 9DP.
Email: info@fosterandpearson.co.uk
Tel: 01403 782 868