When work began on restoring old garden buildings, site foreman Teddy Duffy found he had a problem. One of the first requirements was locating old-style craftsmen with the requisite skills to make the project succeed. This was difficult in a time of mass production and speed. "What was important in the past was quality workmanship," said Teddy. "Time was of almost no importance."

Probably the biggest building project was the restoration of the old gardener's house. New windows and doors were fitted and the exterior was completely repointed. The roof was found to be in such poor condition that it needed to be completely replaced using genuine antique roof slates. This building now houses the visitor centre and audio visual room.

Another notable early garden building was the fern house, which may have been used originally for storing orange plants in winter. This was in a very poor state and had to be completely re-roofed and re-pointed.

The fernhouse emerging from a cocoon of ivy

All formal gardens require focal points. One of the focal points in the water gardens here was a stone tea-house. This had to be reconstructed using architectural archives, its unusual shape causing some difficulty for the stonemasons.