Orangeries Designed and Built for Wirral Homes

What makes a room an orangery

An orangery sits between a conservatory and a traditional extension. Where a conservatory is mostly glass, an orangery has more brickwork: solid pillars at the corners and between the windows, and a flat roof running around the edge. In the middle of that roof sits a glazed lantern that pours daylight down into the centre of the room.

The result is a space with walls you can hang pictures on and put furniture against, while still feeling bright. Because the brick and the roof line tie in with the main building, an orangery tends to read as part of the house from the garden, not as something added later.

When an orangery is the better choice

People usually come to us wanting an orangery for one of a few reasons. They want a room that matches the house. They need privacy along one side, perhaps facing a neighbour, so a solid wall makes more sense than glass. Or they are planning a kitchen-diner or family room and want it to feel like a proper room all year.

It is not always the right answer. If you mainly want a light, garden-facing space on a tighter budget, a conservatory may suit you better, and you can see the styles on our conservatories page. If you already have a conservatory with sound frames that is simply too cold or too hot, replacing its roof can solve the problem without a rebuild, and our conservatory roof replacement page explains how.

Design choices at the visit

Nothing is fixed until we have stood in your garden and talked it through. The design visit is free and covers the decisions that shape the room.

• Footprint and shape: how far the room comes out, how wide it runs, and where it meets the house
• Brickwork: chosen to match or sit well beside your existing walls
• Lantern size: how much of the roof is glazed and how much daylight you want
• Roof options: solid, tiled and glass roof options are all available
• Doors to the garden: French doors, a slider or bifold doors that fold right back
• Heating and lighting: where radiators, sockets and ceiling lights should go so the room is easy to live in

How an orangery project runs

After the design visit you receive drawings and a fixed written price, with no hard sell. Once you are happy, we handle the whole build: the base work, the brickwork, the glazing and the electrics, so you are not left coordinating separate trades.

Every frame is measured, made and fitted by our own team. Where building regulations apply, guidance is included as part of the project. The site is left tidy at the end of each day, which matters when the work is right outside your back door.

Planning and building regulations

Some orangeries can be built under permitted development, which means no planning application, as long as the size, height and position stay inside set limits. Others, particularly larger designs, those close to a boundary, or homes in a conservation area, will need permission.

Building regulations are a separate question. Whether they apply can depend on how the orangery is separated from the house, for example by external-quality doors, and on how much of the roof and walls is solid. We give general guidance at the design visit, but your council has the final say, so always check before work begins. Our planning permission guide sets out the basics.

Why choose Wirral Windows

We are a family-run firm covering about 30 miles around the Wirral, Chester included. You get one team from the first sketch to the last clean-up, a clear written price and straight advice, including telling you if a conservatory or a new roof would serve you better. Call 0800 994 9440 or send the form below to book your free design visit.