Conservatories in the East of England

The Cambridge, Peterborough and Essex growth areas are mostly cavity-walled houses on generous plots, and almost any conservatory style fits them. In rural Norfolk and Suffolk, the older flint, timber-framed and thatched properties suit a lean-to or a small orangery better than a large modern extension.

On a thatched or timber-framed house, the installer and the insurer both have a say in the frame and the fixings. Hardwood sits well on older homes, while uPVC and aluminium are fine on the modern estates. Listed buildings in the market towns need consent for anything that attaches to the house.

East Anglia is one of the driest and sunniest parts of the country, and a glass roof can overheat on a flat, open plot with no shade. Solar control glass or a solid roof makes the room more usable, and the wide skies make a roof lantern worth having if you go for the orangery look.

The flat, open gardens and big skies of the region make good use of wide glass doors. Sliding and bifold doors work well on the newer estates, and French doors suit the older cottages. Exposed coastal and fenland sites take strong wind, so check the lock and the frame rating.

A region of two halves. The Cambridge, Peterborough and Essex corridors have grown quickly and are dominated by post-war and recent cavity-walled housing. Rural Norfolk and Suffolk hold a much older stock, including timber-framed, flint and clay lump construction that needs breathable repair rather than modern sealed systems. Thatch survives here in greater quantity than in most of England.

The Broads has National Park status, and the region has a high density of listed buildings in its market towns and villages. Thatched properties carry their own fire and insurance requirements, which shape what can be done to the house around them.

Along with the South East, this is the driest part of the UK at around 600mm a year, and East Anglia in particular is closer to a continental climate than the rest of the country. That means more frost than the mild west, and more of the freeze-thaw cycling that opens up mortar joints. The coast is flat and exposed, with little shelter from easterly wind.