Coombe Abbey in the Victorian Period
In the mid-nineteenth century, Coombe Abbey was owned by the second Earl of Craven, who carried out extensive alterations there. He and his wife also spent a lot of money on improving the gardens, which would have pleased his grandmother, Elizabeth Craven, as she was always a tremendous garden enthusiast.
 |
| A photograph of Coombe Abbey from the South side taken by Wingrave in 1860, just before the moat was added. |
The Earl employed William Andrew Nesfield to design and carry out the alterations. A moat was added and a round tower with a turret added on the north side, overlooking it. To my mind this has something of the air of a French Gothic château. Some of these alterations were not completed unti 1872.
" Thanks to the refined taste of its proprietor, the gardens of Coombe Abbey are fast rising into notoriety, and will fitly take their place amongst first-class establishments of the kind in this country. The old and dilapidated garden walls and houses are swept away, and new walls and handsome and substantial houses have taken their place. A new residence has been built for the gardener, and new fruit-rooms, Mushroom-house, and young gardeners' rooms, potting sheds, &c., have been erected in a substantial manner at the north end of the kitchen garden; in fact, every part of this destined to be fine place, is undergoing thorough revision.
The kitchen garden is close to the Abbey hence the necessity of making it ornamental as well as useful. A walk 12 ft. wide leads from the Abbey through its centre, having the gardener's house for its termination. On either side of this walk are borders about 8 ft. wide, filled with flowering plants, and edged with the wild small-leaved Ivy from the woods. This Ivy is also employed for edging nearly all the walks in the kitchen garden; it is planted 6 inches wide, and is now, after two years' planting, so well established that it makes a very neat and ornamental bordering either for vegetables or flowers.
About half-way up this centre walk is a circular basin, 18 or 20 feet in diameter, furnished with five jets. The flower border is also carried around the basin, forming a happy combination when the water is playing, and at the same time affording a reservoir for the supply of the garden. There are two cross walks in the garden, and by the introduction of iron gates in the wall beautiful vistas are formed, running away a great distance into the park which is extensive but flat; it contains much fine timber, and about 80 acres of water: Extensive drives through the woods, and others are in construction.
Midway between the fountain and the end of the garden a cross wall is introduced, leaving an opening in the centre 26 feet wide. Against this wall are placed two Peach houses, or Peach cases as they are denominated here, 75 ft. by 7 ft. The front glass is carried to the height of the wall, and the space covered with a flat span roof about 6 or 7 feet high. An upright wire trellis, is placed against the front glass, and to this the trees are trained. The back wall is also planted with trees, and by this arrangement the front trees do not at all intercept the light from those planted at the back.
Young trees were taken from the garden walls two years ago and planted in these houses where they have grown vigorously, and now almost cover the walls and trellises. These Peach houses form an excellent screen to the pits, Pine houses, &c., placed behind them, and keep up the ornamental appearance of the garden as seen from the end next the Abbey. At the back of this wall is placed a greenhouse 75ft. by 18, also a stove and Fernery together, 75 ft by 18; 35 feet being occupied by the Ferns, and the remainder by stove plants. In the greenhouse are some nice specimens of Azaleas, and in the stove we noticed many good plants of Allamandas, Crotons, Begonias, Cyperus alternifolius, Dracaenas, and a beautiful specimen of Hexacentris mysorensis, trained to an upright trellis about 5 feet high.
In the Fernery an arrangement is made against the back wall upon a series of double arches for supporting two ornamental borders, into which Ferns are planted out of their pots, and are growing luxuriantly. Polypodium aureum, Pteris argyraea, and several others are in robust health; in front of these is a tank of heated water and a stage over it for setting Ferns on, an arrangement which amply supplies the peculiar wants of this interesting tribe of plants. The wall of the tank is finished with a hollow coping 9 inches diameter, which is filled with Lycopodium helveticum, a plan, judging from its effect, worthy of imitation. Behind this are arranged on one side two houses 80 feet by 15, one for growing Cucumbers and Melons, the other for pot Wines, &c. The former is furnished with a hot-water tank, and is well heated and ventilated.
On the S.E. side are two others, one 80 feet by 15, for growing succession Pines, the other 80 feet by 18, for a fruiting house; each of these four houses have a division in them. Queen, Providence, and Smooth Cayenne Pines are the principal kinds grown; they are all clean and in good health. A noble range of glass 386 feet in length occupies a large portion of the wall facing S.S.E. This range has eight divisions, and is devoted entirely to the cultivation of Grapes and Peaches. The two centre houses are the widest, and are used as late Wineries— they are 50 feet by 18; two houses on either side of the centre are used as early Wineries, and are 45 feet by 15; two others for succession Wineries, 40 feet by 15; and the two outside houses are planted with Peach and Nectarine trees—these are each 50 feet by 12. The Wine and Peach trees were planted in June, 1862. The Peach trees were for the most part taken from the walls, and are now bearing good crops of fruit. The Vines are doing remarkably well, furnishing the rafters with bearing wood quite two-thirds of their length, and although they have been allowed to bear six or seven bunches of Grapes each this year, they are in good condition, and furnished with good fruiting wood for next season. They are planted inside the house, the front of which being on arches permits the roots to pass partly outside. It is intended to make the outside border by instalments, only about 3 feet being at present made; this portion, being close to the house, is about 2 feet deep, and consists of good maiden loam, resting on about 9 in. of broken stones, which cannot fail to secure a good healthy root-action. All the most approved kinds of Grapes are planted here; the late houses contained such varieties as Lady Downes, Barbarossa, West's St. Peter's, Tokay, Muscats, &c. one Vine of the Barbarossa had six large bunches of Grapes, averaging pretty nearly 5 lbs. each, and tolerably well coloured.
Between the late and early Vineries there is a break in the range on either side of about 8 feet, the houses being connected by a corridor. In these spaces two tanks are constructed, having a 4 in. pipe flow and return passing through them, thus keeping up a constant supply of hot water for the use of the houses; this is quite a novel arrangement, the value of which can scarcely be overrated. The tanks hold about 4000 gallons each.
Bordering the walks in the kitchen garden is a fine collection of Pear trees, trained for the most part in three flat tiers, resembling a round table with three tops—these tiers are about 1 foot 6 inches apart, the lower one being the largest in diameter and the top the smallest; they look well when bearing a good crop of fruit, as every fruit can be seen to advantage. Some Apple trees are trained in the same way. Several other methods of training are also adopted.
The garden slopes considerably to the south, and in order to keep the portion level where the houses are built, the lower part has been raised about 3 feet; steps are introduced in the central walk, the outside walks are carried up on an incline, and a Grass slope being made on their sides 3 feet deep at the top and running out to nothing at the bottom, a wide margin of Grass is carried all round the vegetable quarters in this division; this has a good effect in keeping up the ornamental character of the garden. There is a large open space of ground on the south side of the garden outside the water, which is in course of formation; this is arranged so far in geometrical figures, and is intended to form a Rose garden, and probably a Rhododendron garden; and a large space is to be devoted to a miniature fruit garden.
At the bottom nearest the Abbey is a croquet ground 800 feet by 90 ; beyond this a bank is raised and planted with shrubs to shut out the stables. &c. An outside walk 12 feet wide is carried round three sides of the garden, on two of which it is raised from 2 to 3 feet high, and forms a handsome terrace walk, with a wide margin of Grass on each side; a Grass walk 2 feet wide and 3 feet from the wall is also introduced here, and is a great improvement upon the principle generally adopted. Between this and the walk is a border about 10 feet wide, at the back of which is a row of standard Roses; the remainder is occupied with Geraniums, Werbenas, &c., as a ribbon border, and from its great length it is very effective.
A part of the wall at the end of the garden, and facing the Abbey, is planted with choice hardy creepers, the centre being occupied by an ornamental screen designed by Mr. Nesfield. In front of this wall are arranged square beds of flowers. The whole of these arrangements, with the exception of the gardener's house, fruit rooms, &c., have been designed and carried out by Mr. William Miller, his lordship's gardener, and we think they cannot fail to be satisfactory both to the employer and employed. In short, over the whole of the estate improvements are being made of such a character, as cannot fail, and that at no distant date, to be attended with the most beneficial results.
- The Abbey is undergoing thorough revision, and considerable additions are being made to it. A large serpentine lake in the park is being brought under the walls of the Abbey in the form of a moat on the north side, and extending some distance beyond the building. A handsome boat-house in connection with the Abbey is also in course of formation, and we understand “that it is intended to be furnished by Mr. Nesfield. Mr. Nesfield's son is the architect for the alterations and additions to the Abbey.
[From Gardeners Chronicle & New Horticulturist, Volume 24, Haymarket Publishing, 1864].
The second Earl did not live to see all these plans come to fruition. He died in 1866 and was succeeded by his son George Grimston Craven, the third Earl.
Comments
Post a Comment