Monument record 2838/2/5 - Kitchen garden

Kitchen Garden at Apethorpe Hall. The earliest reference to a kitchen garden dates to 1710 with further references to the construction of brick garden walls in 1713-15 and a wall for a melon garden in 1734-5. The west compartment shown on 18th century maps still preserves much of its original brick walling and the north wall survives largely intact as do the short east and west walls. The south wall has gone. The main productive area for vegetables, herbs and flowers was probably elsewhere and unwalled at this period. By 1886 there had been major developments in the garden. The east compartment has been replaced by pleasure gardens. The south wall had been demolished and a larger kitchen garden area with two glasshouses had been enclosed further south. Between 1904 and 1939 there were further changes to the garden. Further glasshouses were constructed with heating systems. A new plant house and forcing house were built and major alterations were made to existing backsheds including a large underground vaulted coal-hole. After 1950 the school continued to made use for the kitchen garden adding more cold frames and a small boiler.

{1}In 1714 kitchen garden was laid out;,{2}Records of making of kitchen garden in 1714;,

{4}Fruit & vegetable grounds beyond ivy-clad walls; kitchen garden is surrounded & subdivided by fine walls & perfect yew hedges;

{5} Reference to the construction of brick garden walls in 1713-15 are thought to refer to the long brick wall to the west side of the pleasure gardens. The Enclosure Map of 1778 shows two long narrow enclosures at the south end of the pleasure garden. While the construction of brick walls for a kitchen garden is a very typical 18th century development, the long, narrow form of the compartments is unusual. The narrow shape here is more usual for a frameyard. One of two of the walled compartments at Apethorpe may well have been the melon garden.

During the 19th century a lean-to glass house is at the centre of the south-facing wall, with a back-sheds range to the rear. Further south a larger kitchen garden has been enclosed with two further glasshouses. At the rear there was a boiler house, a tool house and perhaps a mushroom house.

During 1904-05 the kitchen garden saw a major programme of work to the buildings. Further glasshouses were constructed with back-sheds, with cold frames alongside. A new plant house and forcing house were built and major alterations were made to the 19th century backsheds including the addition of a large underground vaulted coal-hole for the Stoke Hole. Further building work took place in 1909 with the addition of a fig house and a new peach house and the replacement of the two old vineries. A further large span house was added between 1909-39.
After 1950 a number of alteration were carried out by the school. Cold frames and a small boiler were added and the chimney of the main backsheds range was rebuilt.

Hill, N, 2007, Apethorpe Hall: The Development of the Kitchen Garden (Report). SNN114914.

<1> WEIGALL R., 1906, APETHORPE AND ITS OWNERS, 942.0066 MIL/WEI (Book). SNN42587.

<2> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.545 (checked) (Series). SNN100369.

<3> 1721, Untitled Source, (unchecked) (Illustration). SNN56369.

<4> 1895, APETHORPE, 495 (Article). SNN42238.

Record last edited

Mar 27 2023 2:39PM