Architect's report

Gardens
Mansion
Education
Wish List

In the Walled (Kitchen) Garden a volunteer has carried out a measured survey so that an accurate plan can be produced. This will enable the planting arrangement for each bed to be marked on copies of the plan, so a record is kept. The marked-up plan will also assist with explanations to visitors. In the 1970s the Walled Garden was ploughed over and the soil has moved down the slope and obscured various paths. One of the present tasks ist he unearthing of these paths and the re-creation of their associated beds. Some beds have been marked out and dug over for the first time since the garden was abandoned. Another main path is due to be exposed and restored when the weather improves. In the meantime, work continues on the restoration of the glasshouses adjacent to the west wall.

On the Terraces west of the mansion, the collapsed path at the west end of the southern Lower Terrace has been further advanced in its reconstruction by the hard work of a skilled volunteer. To the north, the corner access-point up to the Terraces from the Great Lawn was all grown over, with both its short flights of stone steps sold off in the 1950s. Duncan Lowther, the Trust secretary, has cleared the whole area and revealed the foundations of the two flights of steps and the area of the previous path between them. The path has been rebuilt and we are hopeful of obtaining funds to reinstate the steps in due course. At the end of the great causeway, large pieces of the smashed stonework have been lifted from the basement structures into which they had collapsed. The clearance of the basements beneath is now well advanced. All this work goes some way to reversing the chaos of long-term abandonment and demolition in this area.

On the Upper Terrace, nearer the mansion, Edna Hobbs has financed works to the remains of the foundation to the northern fountain. When the fountains were sold off around 1950 the foundations of the northern fountain were largely removed. The purpose of the present works was to rebuild sufficient of the octagonal foundation for it to read as strongly as the southern foundation base – which is complete. These works are under way.

The ruined Winter Garden near the mansion has just received its first component of reconstruction. Works have begun to reconstruct the inner brick wall of the southern semi-circular planter, containing the original vine. These works have been funded by our Gordon Brown, who looks after the vine – year after year – and are much admired by visitors. Near the Rock Garden, the pleached lime walk has received some attention, with some of the branches now being trained horizontally at high level in their final positions. Next to the lime walk there is a circular enclosure which is formed out of tall philadelphus. This feature has been pruned and cleared of elder so that its form can be more solid and clear when the new growth appears. To sit inside this internal space in May would probably cause people to be overcome by the beautiful scent. The archaeologists have been known to have their tea inside but seem to be OK.