Walled garden, approximately 17m east of Manor House Farmhouse, Woodford, North Northamptonshire

Summary

A walled garden, likely dating to the early-to-mid C19.

Description

A walled garden, likely dating to the early-to-mid C19.

MATERIALS: the walls are built from roughly dressed, randomly coursed limestone topped with moulded terracotta coping. The gate piers are constructed from ashlar, with a timber and iron gate. Pathways are formed from brick and sandstone slabs.

PLAN: the garden is roughly rectangular, orientated on an east-west axis.

DESCRIPTION: the principal entrance to the garden is set within the west wall, roughly in line with the entrance gate to the farmhouse on the opposite side of the road. Like the gate to the farmhouse, the garden gate features panelling to the lower half and railings with arched bracing above, likely replacements of earlier gates of a similar style. Four, coursed ashlar piers, with central recessed panels and moulded, pyramidal capping blocks, flank the gateway and north-west and south-west corners of the garden. The west wall is topped with large flat rectangular York stone copings decorated with a broached finish.

The walls to the north, east and south side are topped with decorative saddle profiled coping bricks laid in soldier course. The north and south walls are approximately 2.75m in height and ramped at their western ends, dropping to approximately 1.65m to meet the height of the west wall. The south wall contains a gateway to the neighbouring property, River View, featuring a round brick arch and wrought iron gate. The east wall is arced, being approximately 1.65m at its centre and ramped at both ends to meet the height of the adjoining walls. The north-east and south-east corners feature ashlar quoins.

The ground level inside the walled garden is approximately 1m higher than the surrounding land outside the wall. It features a partially submerged, axial path laid in herringboned brick and sandstone flags.

History

The walled garden to Manor House Farmhouse (listed Grade II*, National Heritage List for England entry: 1225978) lies opposite the house on the east side of Addington Road. The farmhouse is thought to date to the late C16 or early C17. Formerly an H-plan hall house, it appears to have been reconfigured in the C18 to its existing U-shaped plan. Addington Road appears to have been constructed to the immediate east of the house by 1729. Maps from this period show that at this time a terrace of buildings lay opposite farmhouse, in the location of the present day walled garden. This terrace had been removed by the early-C19.

The boundary to the walled garden is first indicated on late-C19 maps. The west boundary wall echoes the construction and appearance of the boundary to the front of Manor House Farmhouse, suggesting both may have been constructed at the same time, possibly at a time when the farmhouse was being remodelled. The lower height of the east and west garden walls may have been designed to maximise views between Manor House Farmhouse and the Nene valley beyond. There is an access gate in the south wall between the garden and house to the south, known as Riverview. Late-C19 maps suggest that the walled garden was surveyed as part of the same land as Riverview and it is possible that the walled garden was maintained by the tenants. In the late-C19 the garden appears to have served an ornamental purpose and was later used to grow fruit, flowers and vegetables.

Reasons for Listing

The walled garden, approximately 17m east of Manor House Farmhouse, Woodford is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural Interest:

* as a well-constructed early-to-mid C19 walled garden with high quality architectural detailing, including street facing elements designed to match those of Manor House Farmhouse, a late-C16 or early-C17 farmhouse, listed Grade II*;
* for its thoughtful design including ramped walls to maximise views between Manor House Farmhouse and the landscape beyond.

Historic interest:

* for its survival, illustrative of the development of the estate of Manor House Farmhouse.

Group value:

* as part of a cohesive and picturesque ensemble with Manor House Farmhouse.

External Links

Historic England Listing

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