Hartpury Colleges secret garden restoration!

A well-hidden secret at Hartpury College is in the process of getting a makeover.  The College’s ornamental gardens, or ‘pleasure grounds’ as they were known in their heyday, were designed and installed in 1907 by arts and crafts designer Thomas Mawson.

Thomas Mawson (1861-1933) began his career working at a nursery in Windermere and progressed on to become a well-known landscape architect.  He went on to design gardens such as Holker Hall, Dyffryn Gardens and Padiham Memorial Park.

He also designed parks and gardens throughout Europe and Canada, including the Peace Palace Gardens at The Hague.

He wrote a book (among other publications) called “The Art and Craft of Garden Making” which was a best seller and he was president of the Town Planning Institute and the first president of the Institute of Landscape Architects.

So far, some of the hard landscaping on the terrace has already been renewed and the formal topiary yew blocks have been replanted on the lower lawn (see photographs).  Following Mawson’s plan, it is hoped that further planting will take place and other features that were previously lost will be re-introduced.  Watch this space!