 In either 1863 or 1864, John Tebbutt erected a small round wooden observatory in the garden (since demolished).A second circular structure was built in 1874 and in 1879 he built a second, larger circular observatory close to the old one.Tebbutt was a private astronomer and a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society who continued to make patient, reliable astronomical observations and published regularly, building an international reputation.