PHOTOS: Stained glass window restoration revealed at Morecambe Winter Gardens

Work has been carried out to restore stained glass windows inside the Winter Gardens. Photo: Morecambe Winter Gardens

Beautiful stained glass windows are being restored inside the Winter Gardens and some of the work has been revealed.

Ongoing building and restoration work is taking place at the historic theatre, and a post on the venue's Facebook page showed some of the improvements which have been led by Lancashire stained glass specialist Sarah Walkley.

"For the past year the amazing Sarah Walkley of Pendle Glass has been restoring our beautiful stained glass features in the theatre," it said.

"This was made possible through a grant from Morecambe Town Council who supported the cost of new windows and features in the auditorium and six new panels for the former Bar 2.

"The bottom part of this work has now been complete and we hope you will get a chance to see these incredible craftmanship this weekend and leading up to our wonderful Eric 100 Weekend in partnership with Morecambe Town Council.

A weekend celebrating the centenary of Eric Morecambe will be held on May 16 and 17 at the theatre

"Thank you Sarah for such a fantastic job and also to our amazing volunteers Eric Harris and Joanne Collins who worked tirelessly alongside Sarah to install the new glass.

"Here are some images of before and after including the shiny beautiful new pieces being installed by Eric and Jo and all the joinery required to do this.

"Over the next week we will put a full history of the work done and what's still required but for now enjoy the beauty of the Winter Gardens slowly emerging once again."

See the before and after images below.

"Morecambe Town Council is very proud to have supported the restoration of these beautiful stained glass panels at Morecambe Winter Gardens through its Community Grants fund," said a post on the town council Facebook page.

"An outstanding job and incredible craftsmanship by Sarah Walkley at Pendle Glass - and another step forward in bringing this magnificent building back to its former glory."

Last summer, it was announced that existing, damaged panels would be repaired and new panels of various sizes fabricated from scratch to replace those that have been destroyed or gone missing since the entertainment venue closed its doors to the public in 1977.

The Morecambe Winter Gardens Preservation Trust, owners of the theatre, received a £7405 grant from Morecambe Town Council towards the work.

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to restore the stained glass at the Winter Gardens," said Sarah Walkley, speaking in 2025.

"It’s the best kind of work an artist can have, giving me the chance to restore these beautifully crafted windows to their former glory using traditional techniques passed down through centuries. I’m enjoying the process of giving them a beautiful renaissance."

In March 2025, the Winter Gardens was given the go ahead to carry out plans to increase its capacity to 1600 and reopen its Circle for the first time since 1977.

The Winter Gardens

Lancaster City Council granted planning permission and listed building consent for major works on the 19th century theatre as part of its ongoing restoration.

The planning application was to demolish a former substation, build a part two/part three storey side extension, install a replacement window, doors and stage door at the back of the theatre, refurbish floors, ceilings, the Circle seating area and bar area, install a lift, and electrical and fire alarm systems.

Rosslee Construction, from Accrington, were appointed as main contractors to lead the project. 

Professor Vanessa Toulmin, from owners the Winter Gardens Preservation Trust, said the building work would make it "one of the biggest music venues in the North West".

Morecambe Winter Gardens was opened as the ‘Victorian Pavilion Theatre’ in 1897.

Since 2006, the Morecambe Winter Gardens Preservation Trust, a volunteer-run group, has owned the theatre.

The theatre is currently open at weekends for people to look inside and for tours of the historic building, and continues to open for events including stand-up comedy with Simon Evans this Friday, April 24.

Read more: INTERVIEW: Morecambe Winter Gardens set for major work to reopen Circle for first time since 1977 - Beyond Radio

Next key phase of Morecambe Winter Gardens restoration plans gets green light - Beyond Radio

Morecambe Winter Gardens stained glass windows to be restored - Beyond Radio

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