BUSINESS is blooming for one of Britain's rarest greenhouses after it was reopened to the public for the first time in more than a century.

Major Dennis Burton and his wife Anne, owners of the Grade II listed structure at Felton Park, Northumberland, have been battling to bring the lean-to back to life as a commercial venture.

The greenhouse, designed by John Claudius Loudon in the 1820s, risked collapse because the 18th Century wall it stands against was crumbling away.

But a £50,000 cash injection, including money from English Heritage, saved the structure.

Since then, trade has blossomed, and the couple have plans to restore the greenhouse canopy and replace missing period fittings.

Three years ago, the greenhouse was put on the at-risk register by English Heritage because of the threat of the wall collapsing collapse.

The organisation agreed to part-fund its restoration - provided the greenhouse was made to work again and opened to the public.

Major Burton plans to eventually restore the whole of the glass and the wrought iron structure back to its former glory.