Ridge and Furrow glazing invented by JC Loudon

‘On the way back to the Edensor Inn Mr Loudon commented on the ridge-and-furrow glazing system Mr Paxton had used for the conservatory. He said it could be used for much larger buildings. ‘Indeed’ he remarked ‘it is my belief that the day will come when glass, iron and steel will be the main building materials.' This is a quote from The Claudians: gardens, landscapes, reason and faith: John Claudius Loudon and Claudius Buchanan, Tom Turner (Kindle, 2024). 

Understanding Ridge and Furrow Glazing: Loudon's Influence on Glasshouse Architecture

 While Joseph Paxton is often credited with the large-scale application of ridge and furrow glazing, Loudon's earlier work provided the foundational ideas and practical insights that informed these later developments. Loudon's advocacy for glass and iron structures, and his emphasis on maximizing light, were crucial to the evolution of this glazing technique.

1816. W. Skempton writes about Loudon’s civil engineering achievements in A Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland: 1500-1830 (Thomas Telford, 2002) pp 412-3: ‘ Loudoun John Claudius (1783 to 1843) writer and landscape gardener was one of the most important early innovators in the use of iron as a structural material… On his return [from his 1813-14 continental tour] he designed a ducted hot air heating system for Coleshill Oxfordshire. In 1816 he moved to Bayswater London, joined by his mother and sisters, and began experiments on hot house construction, publishing his findings which included the earliest proposals for cast iron rectangular braced girders. In Sketches of hot houses Loudon describes his wrought iron glazing bar invented in 1816. The narrow bar could be bent along its length allowing the resulting curved surface of the glasshouse to meet the sun's rays at nearly right angles for much of the day in conformance with current theories of light penetration. Loudon’s glazing bar was a pioneering event in the development of the rolled steel section. In Loudon’s design the wrought iron glazing bars and glass acted together structurally producing the earliest useful shell structure of iron and glass. In 1818 he also published a comparative view of the usual and curvilinear process of the roofing of hot houses, in which he invited commissions for hot houses or for iron roofs, fireproof buildings etc. Loudon worked jointly with a contractor W & D Bailey, building elegant arching glass houses and Bicton Park Palm House Devon in 1843 which survives as a late rare example. Loudon made over his rights to Bailey in 1818 foregoing a likely fortune but freeing himself for literary pursuits. Richard Turner's Palm House at Kew used a wrought iron glazing bar based on Loudon’s designs. Loudon also proposed the ridge and furrow design to achieve maximum light penetration twice a day. There is no evidence that an example was built but the influence of his ideas on Joseph Paxton is undeniable.’ 

‘In 1818 Loudon published his design for a bridge across the Mersey at Runcorn, a cast and wrought iron suspension bridge of 1000 feet clear opening with a minimum height above the water of 70 feet. It consisted of two giant cast iron piers with each part of the bridge deck suspended individually and directly from the piers. Loudon was friendly with Thomas Telford who also designed a bridge for the site.’

Evolution and Influence of Ridge and Furrow Glazing

Ridge and furrow glazing, a technique popularised by Joseph Paxton, has its roots in the pioneering work of John Claudius Loudon. Loudon’s innovations in glasshouse design, particularly his introduction of wrought iron glazing bars and the concept of maximising light through curvature, laid the groundwork for this revolutionary technique. His designs aimed to optimise light penetration and structural efficiency, crucial for the development of large-scale glass structures. Loudon’s detailed studies on the use of glass and iron, including his 1816 experiments and publications on hot house construction, demonstrated his forward-thinking approach. His design principles, particularly the ridge and furrow method, allowed glasshouses to capture sunlight more effectively, which was pivotal for plant growth and energy efficiency. This foundational work directly influenced Paxton’s later applications in the Great Stove and other notable glasshouses. Loudon’s contributions to the field of architectural glazing not only advanced glasshouse technology but also set a precedent for future innovations in structural design and material use.