New book: Structure and Landscape

New book: Structure and Landscape

William Wilkins and Humphry Repton at Haileybury 1806‐1810 edited by Toby Parker and Kate Harwood

The Study Day organised by HGT at Haileybury in 2015 presented new information about the construction of the East India College and its Landscape.

These Proceedings of that Study Day, with some additional papers, provide new insights to both the buildings and Repton’s landscape and his considerable involvement in the site as well as the importance of the College as innovative in concept, design and execution.

To order a copy of this book please send your name, address and a cheque for £14.00 (to include p&p) made payable to
Hertfordshire Gardens Trust to:

HGT, 78 Broadstone Road, Harpenden, Herts AL5 1RE

Please send queries to : conservation@hertsgardentrust.org.uk

Gobions Wood

Gobions Wood

The Research Group has undertaken surveys of Gobions Wood at Brookmans Park. Within this lovely wood lie the earthwork remains of a famous eighteenth-century garden designed by Charles Bridgeman for Jeremy Sambrooke and laid out in the 1720s. Visited by many notable people, including Queen Caroline, the garden was one of Bridgeman’s most significant designs, and was considered by Horace Walpole to represent an important stage in the development of the ‘landscape’ style.

Exciting new evidence about the layout of the garden came to light with the discovery of a plan in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. An article assessing the significance of the plan, written by Tom Williamson and Anne Rowe, was published in the journal Garden History in 2012. Here are some photographs of the Research Group hard at work in Gobions Wood on two gloriously sunny spring days in March 2012.

 

Bridgeman rond-point restored in Tring Park

Bridgeman rond-point restored in Tring Park

On 9 April 2014 the research team and guests enjoyed a great afternoon at Tring Park at the invitation of the Woodland Trust to celebrate the restoration of the Charles Bridgeman rond-point – ceremonially completed by the planting of the final tree by Lady Verulam. A lovely pair of spotted ponies pulling a small carriage was laid on for the VIPs: the HGT President, the HGT Chairman and the Mayor of Tring.

HGT President, Lady Verulam, plants a tree at the centre of the rond-point, ably assisted by Louise and Karen from the Woodland Trust.
[photographs by Jenny Milledge]

Clearance of trees and scrub from the rond-point and from the slopes below it has restored the magnificent view.

Good News! Yule Mausoleum

Good News! Yule Mausoleum

Following the HGT request for designation at Hanstead House, Bricket Wood in 2013, the Yule Mausoleum in the garden was given a Grade II Listing. The sculpture is particularly fine and following an article in 2013, in Mausolus, the magazine of the Monuments and Mausolea Society, a descendant of the sculptor has just contacted HGT with evidence of Philip Lindsay-Clark as sculptor. Lindsay-Clark did many fine memorial and church sculptures, including one in St Bonaventure, Parkway, Welwyn Garden City. Historic England are now adding this information to their description, which is currently:

Architectural interest: in a period in which most monuments were produced by commercial masons whose output was fairly routine and derivative, the highly individual character of this mausoleum is conspicuous in its originality, aesthetic quality and high quality execution.

The full listing entry can be seen at
http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1415434&resourceID=5

Beach Huts in Hitchin?

Beach Huts in Hitchin?

The last remaining Detached Gardens in Hertfordshire – which have been called Inland Beach Huts – are threatened by proposals from HCC for housing on them.

 

This would be a disastrous loss of a unique piece of our garden heritage and HGT has already alerted Historic England, Herts HER and others who can help save them.. 

 

A local group, Gaping Lane Historic Gardens Association, successfully applied to have them Registered as a Community Asset. They invited  HGT to work with them to put the case for community garden use – as at Hill Close Gardens in Warwick – and  to save these gardens, NOT allotments, from the bulldozers. 75% of the gardens have already been gobbled up by Samuel Lucas School and its playing fields.

 

More details of Detached Gardens and the Park Piece (now Gaping Lane) ones can be found via the links below and details on the Hill Close Gardens here http://hillclosegardens.com/

 


 

Detached Gardens

 

Gaping Lane Detached Gardens

 

Statement of Signficance for Gaping Lane Detached Gardens