| Summary : Landscape park and gardens to Audley End House (Monument HOB UID 541502). The grounds were first developed in 1614 when monastic ponds were converted into ornamental canals and the River Cam was canalised. New tree lined drives were planted and walled gardens were created. A plan for a more extensive layout was created by Dubois in 1725, however, this was not implemented. A less ambitious layout, possibly by Charles Bridgeman, was executed instead. The park was relandscaped by Lancelot Brown in 1763. His work included the demolition of the park walls and the deformalising of the River Cam. Brown worked at Audley End until he left following a dispute with the owner Sir John Griffin Griffin in 1765. His work was completed by Joseph Hicks. Landscaping of the pleasure grounds took place by Richard Woods in 1780. The deer park was landscaped circa 1790. Further gardens were laid out in 1831 by William Sawrey Gilpin and in 1867 when James Pulham II (1820-1898) and James Pulham III (1845-1920), of James Pulham and Son were comissioned to construct a rockery and two ponds, a fishpond and the Otter Pool, situated in what is now known as the Pond Garden. Hitching (2010) has also attributed a fountain with intertwining fish supporting a shell-like basin which stood in the fishpond and is no longer extant and a nearby Rose Pergola to Pulham. The surviving features are good examples of Pulham and Son's work. |
More information : TL 5247 3815: Audley End [NR]. (1)
Scheduled. (2)
Full description, architectural details and history. (3-6)
Landscape park at Audley End House developed by Capability Brown in 1762-67, and in 1780 by Richard Woods and contains extensive woodland and plantations. (7)
Landscape park and gardens to Audley End covering an area of 240 hectares. The formal gardens were first developed in 1614 and a plan for a more extensive layout was created by Dubois in 1725. However his plan was not executed, a less ambitious layout was implemented, possibly to a design by Charles Bridgeman. The park was landscaped by Lancelot Brown in 1763, and work in the pleasure ground was carried out in 1780 by Richard Woods. Further gardens were laid out in 1831 by William Sawrey Gilpin. These were restored during the 1980s. (8)
The park and formal gardens were first laid out when the present house was built in 1614. The monastic ponds were converted to ornamental canals and the River Cam was canalised. New tree lined drives and walled gardens were also created. In the early 18th century plans for remodelling the grounds were made but not implemented. The current park layout and appearance is attributed to Lancelot Brown who was commissioned in 1763. was responsible for the demolition of the park walls, deformalising the River Cam, and the relandscaping of the grounds. Brown worked at Audley End until 1765 when he left following a dispute with the owner Sir John Griffin Griffin, his work was completed by Joseph Hicks. The deer park was landscaped circa 1790. (9-12)
In 1867-68 James Pulham II (1820-1898) and James Pulham III (1845-1920) of James Pulham and Son were commissioned by Lord Braybrooke to build a rock garden and otter pool within the Pond Garden. The features survive and are good examples of Pulhamite. The site has been included in the national Pulham database (ID number 6) and subsequently published in the gazetteer. (13-16)
This source is a detailed guide to visiting Audley End House and Audley Park. It contains illustrations, photographs and plans. (17)
This site is listed in the English Heritage members' & visitors' handbook 2009/10. (18)
This is an additional reference. (19)
A number of Post Medieval parkland features were identified as cropmarks and earthworks on aerial photographs and in lidar data. Each is recorded separately, for clarity. (20)
Please see the current (2010) guidebook for detailed information of the gardens surrounding Audley End. (21)
James Pulham II and James Pulham III of James Pulham and Son were comissioned in 1867 to construct a rockery and two ponds; a fishpond and the Otter Pool, situated in what is now known as the Pond Garden. Hitching (22) has attributed a fountain which stood in one of the ponds and comprised intertwining fish supporting a shell-like basin, and a Rose Pergola as the work of the Pulhams. (22)
This article highlights the restoration of the kitchen garden at Audley End which began in 1999 and is considered to be one of the finest in England. In 1750 the Countess of Portsmouth moved the kitchen garden away from the house and across the estate¿s parkland. Today, it contains the original Vine House, replica Orchard house and restored gardener¿s bothy. It is two acres in total and contains the same historic varieties of fruit and vegetables that were grown there in the 19th century. Restoration of the garden has been a joint collaboration between English Heritage and horticultural charity Garden Organic, and all fruit and vegetables are cultivated organically. The garden supplies the Audley End tearoom and shop and any surplus is sold to a local organic box scheme. (23)
Extensive landscape investigations were undertaken in and around Audley End, Essex, between 2009 and 2014 in order to support the development and presentation of the site. These included aerial photography and lidar mapping of 16km2 around the house, analytical earthwork survey within the grounds, architectural assessment of the estate buildings, and sediment sampling. For the sake of completeness the results of the previously published geophysical surveys were also summarised, with an architectural commentary on the identified remains.
The aerial survey showed the value in re-visiting areas previously subjected to such mapping, adding significant new information ranging from prehistoric sites to temporary Second World War structures, and the lidar data allowed the identification of earthworks within woodland.
Geophysical survey provided extensive evidence for the Jacobean courts to the west of the existing house. It also recorded remains of the earlier monastery and post-Dissolution house as well as other remains in the wider grounds associated with all periods. The architectural commentary on the geophysics identified Thorpe as the architect of the outer court and confirmed the accuracy of the Winstanley views and plans of the 1670s.
Analytical earthwork survey recorded archaeologically significant features across the whole survey area from a wide range of periods, perhaps from the pre-medieval to very recent, though earthworks associated with the 1780s Elysian Garden were particularly numerous.
The architectural assessment provided considerable detail on the buildings of the estate and corrected several attributions. It has also provided a picture of the varying interests of the holders of the estate during the 19th century.
The results of the initial sediment sampling were disappointing and no further work was undertaken. (24) |