| Stow Hall Gardens
History is unclear as to whether there have been 3 or 4
houses on this site since 1553 when Nicholas Hare acquired the land. The
first house to be documented was built in 1589 and was a pretty
Elizabethan structure in the shape of an E similar to Blickling Hall in
north Norfolk. The house was tragically neglected by the family who left
a manager living in one wing with most of the family pictures, the
furniture and other treasures having been sold off.
The next house (1796) was said to “have little architectural character”
but we have a watercolour from the architect’s plans and it looks to be
a delightful bow-fronted, large windowed house and more modest in size.
Plans documented a large-scale garden designed by Lee and Kennedy of
Hammersmith, but more of these later. This house too, fell into decay
and the final hall on this same site was erected in 1874 designed by
David Brandon.
The last house was a rambling affair, the central part housing the
family and a large side wing for the staff. The main rooms faced south
overlooking the lawns and ha-ha to the fields and woods beyond. The back
of the house faced north up the Chase and an avenue of oaks and elms,
the elms having all fallen to Dutch Elm Disease in the last 30 years.
There was a tower, one small room wide, that housed the water cisterns.
The staff quarters were tagged on to the west side of the house,
enclosing a kitchen courtyard where the chicken pens are now. The
Victorian house was no great beauty and from 1940 to 1980 was used by
the local health authority as a maternity hospital and then a
convalescent home. As was the story with it’s precursors, the house fell
into a terrible state of disrepair due to rampaging dry rot, and was
demolished in 1994/95, brick by brick. Most of the masonry and fixtures
and fittings were sold to pay for the demolition and some of the more
distinctive stonework has been used around the garden. My memories of
the house are of the convalescent home, plastic panels on the walls to
protect them from busy nursing traffic, dismal municipal paint colours
and a scary, dark-panelled matron’s office. However, I always enjoyed
going up to the tower with my mother to collect the old Red Cross
trolley that we took, piled high with sweets and toiletries, round the
wards. My sister and I would sneak into the enormous kitchen to watch
the industrious Miss Osbourne, every inch the old fashioned cook, and
her giant marmalade cat that was always asleep by the oven.
The Gardens
The gardens at Stow Hall have been in place since the early 1800’s with
designs on a grand scale including an enormous conservatory, a roseary,
a great greenhouse and a pine stove (for pineapples). The plans for the
Victorian house were governed by the position of several surrounding
fine trees as well as the oak and elm avenue on the north side. The
gardens are constantly being changed and developed, restoring old
brickwork (often using bricks from the old hall), managing, felling and
replanting trees, and developing planting areas using research into old
plans alongside modern techniques and discoveries. The garden is
maintained by one full time and one part time gardener. Extra help is
brought in for hedge cutting.
The Walled Kitchen Garden
The kitchen garden is now mainly laid down to lawn and has been planted
with many ancient apple and quince varieties. The two areas of much
older planting are the grass banked path lined with apple trees from the
1920’s, and the arched walkway covered in pear trees on the south side
and apple trees on the north side, both planted in the early 1800’s. The
archway ends at an ancient mulberry, probably planted in the 1790’s by
John Kennedy, the garden designer and innovative plantsman. The gravel
paths are edged with box hedge, all grown from seedlings from around the
garden. In the 1960’s the whole kitchen garden was maintained by one
man, Albert Green. It was bursting with produce, all beautifully neat
and well cared for. We harvested such treats as asparagus and peaches,
all in abundance, and an endless supply of sweet peas. The price of Mr
Green’s labours was his back. I remember all his conversations with my
father were held bent double, Mr Green leaning his weight on his knees.
I don’t think I ever saw him stand fully upright. Now the kitchen garden
is used by the family and allotment holders, who grow some
competition-size vegetables there!
Hall Gardens
This is the site of the last Stow Hall, dismantled in 1995. The yew
hedge shows the outline of the Hall and the Incense Cedar the position
of the tower, and the steps stand in their original place leading to the
front door. At the time of demolition grand ideas were discussed for
leaving the tower standing, providing an unusual and lofty dwelling, and
placing two elongated pools in front to balance it visually. It was all
far too expensive and the more modest pond takes the place of the main
hallway. The cloisters house a mixture of climbers. The old formal pond
has recently been replanted with white peonies and tulips. The four
trees round it are crab apples from the 1930’s. The Dutch garden has
been recently restored using old bricks from Stow Hall. It is a lovely
secluded spot to sit on a warm day. One of the most unusual trees in the
garden is the huge fern leaf beech whose branches dip to the ground,
re-root themselves and spring up again providing a web of climbing
trails for small boys!
The Old Rose Garden
The Old Rose garden was laid out in the 1930’s and many of the roses
lasted until the 1990’s. Gradually they died off, mostly due to old age,
and as it is impossible to replant the same site with roses immediately,
the beds have been grassed over and a formal planting of Malus Everest
have taken their place. Roses are still an important part of the
planting and over 200 varieties can be seen growing all through the
gardens. The adjoining Elizabethan wall was restored in 1996. You can
still see the slightly newer bricks in their criss-cross pattern along
the top. The nearby pump was used by the pony and cart to draw water
from a huge well beneath to collect water for the greenhouses. Most
years the spout is home to a flycatcher’s nest, whereas the pump in the
kitchen garden sometimes houses a far less friendly hornet’s nest.
There are a number of stone engravings throughout the garden
commemorating family events and well loved pets. The Cloisters,
Summerhouse Garden and Dutch Garden are on the site of a huge
conservatory which was demolished in the early 1900’s and which housed
548 varieties of plants. The catalogue of these plants circa 1803 is in
the Oak Spring Garden Library, Virginia USA, which houses a number of
botanical books collected by Mrs Paul Mellon.
We hope you enjoy your visit to this family garden and experience the
peace and tranquillity which are so much part of this.
Lucy Hare, March 2007 |
Stow Hall Gardens
Opening Dates 2008
Every Wednesday until 29th October
10.00am – 4.00pm
Groups welcome at any time by prior arrangement
Dogs are welcome in the gardens providing they are
kept on a lead.
The Mile Long Chase is a permissive
footpath running from the Gardens north to the Lodge: it is a wonderful
tree-lined walk.
Stow Hall Gardens
Stow Bardolph
Kings
Lynn
Norfolk
PE34 3HU Telephone:
01366 383194
Email:
stowhallgardens@fsmail.net |
