‘Reawakened’ gardens tell a story
Year-long revamp led by television broadcaster sees redesign of grounds at Arts and Crafts manor house
OPEN GARDENS season is in full swing as we indulge in one of British summertime’s quintessential pleasures, that of strolling through beautifully manicured gardens and admiring their imaginative designs and vibrant colours.
New to the circuit for budding horticulturalists this time around is a major project that has come to fruition after more than a year of hard graft. The result is a garden that English Heritage hopes will leave a lasting impression on visitors to Mount Grace Priory, a manor house near Northallerton that now has both ‘House and Gardens’ in its title to reflect the outcome of an ambitious overhaul.
Award-winning garden designer and TV broadcaster Chris Beardshaw officially unveiled his Arts and Craftsinspired gardens at the North Yorkshire attraction yesterday.
With Mr Beardshaw at the helm and with the help of a new gardening team at the Priory including head gardener James Taylor and volunteers from the local community, the grounds are sure to attract admiration for their diverse room-like sections.
The design capitalises on the terracing at the front of the house and features new beds, paths and improved access.
Mr Beardshaw led the design work and advised on plants, supplying many himself, to reflect the legacy of the historical periods through which the property has played a part.
Originally a Carthusian priory, Mount Grace became an Arts and Crafts manor house with garden priory, and the home of wealthy industrialists the Bell family of which spy, world traveller and author Gertrude Bell was a relative.
Mr Beardshaw said: “The reawakening of the gardens associated with Mount Grace Priory has been a huge, exciting and complex task. The successive layers of visible history throughout this undulating landscape offer a multitude of design references. From the imposing Carthusian walls to the Arts and Craftsinspired remodelled house, the architectural styles and arrangement frame hugely varied landscape spaces that provide a multitude of environments for the new gardens.” The character and detail for planting the garden was drawn from the work of designers such as architect Philip Webb and interior designer William Morris, he added.
The garden redesign is part of a £600,000 investment in Mount Grace Priory by English Heritage. A first ever cafe is open at the house, its wildflower meadows have been restored and its orchard has been extensively replanted.
John Watkins, head of gardens and landscape at English Heritage, inset, said: “Mount Grace is a very special place; appearing as a genteel English manor house from the front, you step through the house to reveal the expansive remains of the priory behind.
“By restoring its gardens we hope we can offer visitors a far richer experience of the property’s intriguing double life.”
The reawakening of the gardens has been a complex task. Garden designer Chris Beardshaw.