THE GARDENS
1. East Garden.
This was originally laid out in 1869 as a formal flower garden with herbaceous planting in intricate beds. After a century of neglect, the Irish yews needed drastic pruning to bring them back into shape and in proportion with the rest of the area. These flowerbeds are re-planted each season and under planted with spring flowering bulbs.
2. Hercules.
The old conservatory originally stood here and the alcove housed one of the specimen plants. The statue which now stands in this spot is a 17th century effigy depicting Oliver Cromwell as Hercules in his lion skin robe. It originally stood in the niche above the library door at the front of the house and this explains his rather odd proportions. If you lie at his feet and look up at him he looks more normal, as he was designed to be viewed from below. This fine statue of Oliver Cromwell was then an embarrassment, so it spent the next 200 years in the stables until it was repositioned in the alcove in the East Garden.
3. Wisteria-arch.
4. Obelisks.
5. Orangery Parterre.
This parterre in front of the Orangery was planted during 2001 and the box hedging surrounds old fashioned roses, which only flower once each season, but were chosen for their scent, together with lavendar and spring flower bulbs.
6. The Orangery.
This new addition to the house was completed in 2001.
7. Orangery Knot Garden.
This area was only completed in December 2004, and has continuous variegated box hedging for the intricate centre knots. The centrepiece is a beautiful lead statue of The Winged Messenger, Mercury.
8. Broad Walk.
The rose garden has been restored as faithfully as possible by referring to old photographs taken at the end of the 19th Century. In Parry's day it was much more ornate with each bed ringed with a looped chain along which were grown festoons of rambling roses. In 2004 the arches were installed and the beds increased in size to create a more dramatic effect when seen from the West side of the house.
9. Ladies Winter Walk.
This runs along the outside of the old kitchen garden, which is now in separate ownership from Highnam Court. The kitchen garden predates Parry with the wall being built around 1770.
10. Winter Garden.
11. Wildflower Meadow.
12. Winter Garden Terrace.
The statue of Flora residing above the library door of the house is one of several statues that were set out on plinths between the yews along this terrace. Unfortunately the original statues and garden ornaments have either been sold or smashed by vandals. Only the inaccessible or broken ones are left, like those on top of the kitchen garden wall. The new small statues represent the four elements and are made of reconstituted stone. The new addition of the specially commissioned obelisks, created by Robert Bryant, is to add a contemporary twist to this old part of the garden. At the end of the walk you pass under a clematis arch which was found bent and battered under the brambles. It has now been restored with a new top arch section and new barley twist supports made to the original design. The cave was called the “Owl Cave” because of the little owl figurine that used to sit in its niche. It was one of the first ornaments to be stolen and has now been replaced with a modern replica.
13. Winter Garden.
This whole area was completely overgrown 10 years ago and was originally constructed in a mixture of natural stone and artificial Pulhamite, and took over 20 years to create many years ago. The Pulham family perfected the technique of constructing artificial stone by rendering a brick or clinker stone core with special cement. This is the largest and earliest surviving example or their work and it became the inspiration for many thousands of Victorian rock gardens constructed during the latter part of the 19th Century. Parry planted trees, which you see growing out of rocks, as rockery plants. Many of them are now Champion trees, which are the biggest and best of their kind in the country. The damaged Pulhamite is still awaiting restoration.
14 Garden Pergola.
This newly constructed pergola was built using reclaimed timbers from the demolished Victorian wing, which was removed whilst restoration work was taking place on the house. The thick upright support timbers were part of the old Victorian kitchen.
15. Monet Garden.
This new garden was created on the site of the old withy bed pool, which previously had been the site of medieval fishponds. Willows were grown here during Parry’s time, and were sold at Maisemore market. The recent restoration work has opened up the lake and an old boathouse was uncovered at the northern end. A new bridge was built in the style of the one in Monet’s garden at Giverny in France and new herbaceous flowerbeds have recently been added.
16. Fernery.
This area amongst the water gardens has been created using the Pulhamite stone to provide cracks and crevasses for the ferns to thrive. Look closely at the rocks behind the seat and you can see how these large stones were created.
17. Owl Carving.
18. Temple.
This is a new addition to the garden and when lit at night provides a wonderful reflection in the lake when viewed from the house.
19. Rose Garden.
This part of the garden was created on what would have been pastureland in Parry’s time. This new constructed rose garden of traditional classic Victorian design was completed in Spring 2003. Over 2000 roses and 60,000 spring flowering bulbs have been planted.
20. Herbacious Border.
- 21. Fernery.
22. Wildflower Meadow.
This is an area of eight acres, divided into 12 different sections of wildflowers, spring bulbs and wild grasses planted in 2005.
23. Innocents Church, Highnam.
The church was built in 1851 by Thomas Gambier Parry, and a pathway links the gardens at Highnam Court with the church running through the parkland.
24. Lower Lake.
The new lower lake has been constructed on the site of the old Great Pool. Many moisture loving plants have been planted around the margins and new richly planted shrub areas created. This was only completed in 2004 and provides yet more safe habitats for wildlife, especially swans.
25. Sculptures of Eagle and Fish.
The sculptures were carved by John Moss and designed by Roger Head to interrelate with each other. The eagle is looking down the lake with a fish in its talon, eyeing the leaping fish carved out of the dead tree on the centre island.
26. Deer Carving.
27. Sculpture of an Eagle Owl and a Grizzly Bear.
The sculptures were carved by Dave Bytheway, the Roadside Woodcarver, out of two oak trees which died and had to be removed.
Highnam Court Gardens.
Inside this gallery you will find a selection of photographs of the garden sections.
Click on the individual thumbnail images to see an enlarged version and a description of the gardens.
