The Winter Garden was constructed along with the rest of the house and was complete by July 1883. When entertaining, Alfred de Rothschild would sometimes conduct a small Hungarian orchestra in the building and at other times guests would simply enjoy the exotic surroundings.. Its heating system kept the temperature at a steady 63° Fahrenheit which suited the palms which grew inside.
By the 1930s the Winter Garden had fallen into disrepair and with the possibility of war leading to an expansion of the RAF, the Winter Garden was demolished in 1936. It was replaced by the West Wing which provided much-needed single officers' accommodation. Although the Winter Garden is no more, the linking corridor remains. Its mosaic floor and Corinthian columns act as a visible reminder to the former splendour of the Winter Gardens.
