Monument record 3472/3/8 - Horton Hall Gardens

Horton Hall was bounded by formal gardens during the 17th and 18th centuries

{1} Watching brief by G.Cadman 20/6/1990. The north part of a sunken water garden was infilled with rubble during site clearance/levelling. Probably part of the C18th/C19th gardens of Horton Hall. The southern part of the feature survives, as may traces of the original house.

{5} Earthwork remains of the post medieval gardens of Horton House. Various features apparent both close to the site of the former house and within the wider parkland landscape. Further interpretation needed.

The earliest map of the area, of 1622 depicts the hall surrounded by a typical late 16th or early 17th-century garden, including a formal garden east of the hall, a Cherry Yard to the south and an orchard and firshponds to the west, none of which survives.

{6} An illustration by Peter Tillemans in 1721 shows a formal parterre garden within a large walled court east of the Hall, which stood centrally across the court's west end. This garden was probably created when a wing was added to the hall in c1700. A broad, axial gravel walk ran down the centre of the court from the door to the wing with other walks around the edge of the court and crossing the centre. Running around the edge of the grass plots defined by the walks were clipped cones and globes in the Dutch style. Fruit was grown up the walls of the court. Earlier, in the early C17, there was an orchard and fishponds west of the hall, and a Cherry Yard lay on the south side of a canal located in the park to the south of the Hall, which was later remodelled to form serpentine lakes.

Elements of the C17 gardens and pleasure grounds survived into the early C18, including the parterre, orchard and fishponds and the form of the Cherry Yard.

<1> Cadman G.E., 1990, SMR Report Form, (checked) (Note). SNN50243.

<2> 1990, SMR Report Form, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN54063.

<3> , Ordnance Survey 6 Inch to 1 mile, (checked) (Map). SNN57141.

<4> 1990, Correspondence, (unchecked) (Correspondence). SNN55121.

<5> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.67/Site 20 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<6> English Heritage, 1994, Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (1994, Northamptonshire) (Report). SNN1324.

Record last edited

May 5 2017 2:48PM