One of the most unusual features of the garden is the Aviary, designed by an unknown architect and finished in 1889.
The structure is made of cast iron, and is painted and gilded in the style of a rococo trelliswork pavilion - similar to those erected at Versailles and Chantilly in the early 18th century.
Aviaries were often a feature of Rothschild gardens. We know Baron Ferdinand had fond memories of the one at his childhood home, the Villa Grüneburg outside Frankfurt. Whenever he was at Waddesdon he made sure to visit the Aviary - the birds knew his voice and would come to the fronts of the enclosures to be fed with treats. Alice also continued this tradition.
