April 2012

Case Study

Wotton House Wotton Underwood, Aylesbury Buckinghamshire

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1 INTRODUCTION Wotton House Pleasure Grounds are a partially restored eighteenth century landscape garden under private ownership. It is listed on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England with a Grade II * as a site of exceptional historic interest. It is open to visitors by appointment or on Wednesday afternoons. It has some of the largest surviving historic lake landscaping in the country. The house is a rare example of a country house designed by Sir John Soane.

LOCATION Wotton House is in the County of Buckinghamshire between the towns of Bicester and Aylesbury in the village of Wotton Underwood. Two major roads lie to the north and south of the Estate. To the north the A41 connects Bicester and Aylesbury and to the south the M40 links London and Birmingham. [ Fig.1 and Fig. 2 ]

TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY The Estate lies within the undulating landscape known as the Vale of Aylesbury. It is overlooked from the east by the Chilterns and composed of farmland and woodland within shallow valleys. The whole area is a maze of small rivers and streams e.g the River Cherwell, the Rivers Lyde and the River Wye. All these by varying routes drain into the River Thames. The soil is predominately clay deposited in the last Ice Age on Sedimentary Rocks in the Jurassic period. The Jurassic Rocks lie above older bedrock formed in the pre Cambrian period.

HISTORY Wotton House lies in the Parish of Wotton Underwood and is described in the Doomsday Book in 1066. The Roman road Akeman Street passes to the north of the Parish and Roman pottery remains have been found to the south of Akeman Street on a site known as Collet Farm The parish boundaries of Wotton Underwood were established by AD 854. Prior to the Doomsday Book Wotton Underwood was part of the Royal Hunting Forest known as Bernwood Forest, used by the last Saxon king, Edward the Confessor. The Forest developed to its largest extent under the Plantagenet King Henry II.

The Grenville family have had links to the site at Wotton Underwood since the fourteenth century. In the eighteenth century it went through its period of greatest development resulting in the lake landscape that can be seen today. In the early eighteenth century (1704) Richard Grenville replaced a smaller manor house with a building that had approximately the same footprint as the current house. His son Richard made a dynastic marriage (1710) and married Hestor, the sister and heir of Viscount Cobhams, of nearby Stowe Park.

On Viscount Cobhamʼs death in 1749 Hestor inherited the estate and her son Richard moved to Stowe. By that time the landscape garden at Stowe had become one of the most famous in eighteenth century England. It was a personal testament to Viscount Cobhamʼs political, philosophical and

2 aesthetic opinions. From this moment in time Wotton became the residence of either the oldest or youngest member of the family. It was George Grenville (1712 – 1770), the youngest brother to Richard Grenville who undertook the landscape works that created the Pleasure Grounds as we know now. He was Prime Minister of England briefly between 1763 and 1765.

The development of the Stowe and the Wotton landscapes are linked on a familial level and in the constant interchange of friends and acquaintances. William Pitt the Older was an intimate friend of the Grenville family and shared with the brothers a combined passion for politics and landscape gardening. It was at Wotton in September of 1754 that he met and proposed to his future wife, their sister Lady Hestor.

The Estates are relatively near by and workers from both places were active on either property. It was natural, given the close relationship between the these two great Estates, that Capability Brown, then working as Head Gardener at Stowe, was engaged to develop areas of the Wotton Landscape. Surviving account books have placed Brown at Wotton in the 1750ʼs and the 1760ʼs with large payments being made in 1750,1757 and 1758.

One significant element in the development of the Wotton Pleasure Grounds was the Enclosure of the Wotton Estate in 1743. The enclosure was enabled to a significant degree by the election of Richard Grenville as Member of Parliament for Buckingham in 1743. The orchard, a remnant of the pre enclosure landscape, was not enclosed and remained outside of Grenville ownership. It was included at some point in the late eighteenth century. It has a number of historical and rare varieties.

New tree planting continued in the nineteenth century but the Pleasure Gardens did not substantially change. Stowe remained the focus of the familyʼs landscaping energies. However, by the mid nineteenth century, financial problems were beginning to affect both Stowe and Wotton. This culminated in the great sale at Stowe in 1922.

In 1929 Wotton was sold for £90000 to the local MP Michael Beaumont MP for Aylesbury. Subsequently he sold the House to the Charity of Henry Herbert Wills for Chronic or Incurable Sufferers. During the war it was occupied by the Canadian Army and it also served a period as a school, before being purchased by Buckinghamshire County Council.

In 1957 it was due to be demolished but a timely purchase by Elaine Brunner saved the house and clock pavilion. Over the years with dedication and effort she restored the house and parts of the estate. On her death her daughter April and son in law Mr. David Gladstone inherited the property. With Michael Harrison, the Estate Manager, they have continued the restoration and on going maintenance of Wotton House and Park.

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Figure 3 : Wotton House viewed from The Warrell Lake with Tuscan Temples in the foreground.

The original house was burnt down in 1820 and redesigned by Sir John Soane. It is one of the few country houses designed by Soane [ Fig 3 ] that is still standing. At Wotton he reduced the height of the house by two floors and made considerable changes to the interior layout. The ground plan and front elevation of the original house were virtually identical to Buckingham Palace.

THE AVENUES In the early eighteenth century London and Wise had five avenues or vistas converging on the West door of the house [ Fig.4 ]. They also placed the entrance to the property to the north of the site starting at the A41 and continuing by means of long tree lined avenues towards Windmill Hill [ Fig 5 ] and then to the house.

The main avenue that radiates towards the small lake known as The Warrells was originally a double avenue of elm trees. These died of Dutch Elm disease and have been replaced with chestnut on the outer line (Aesculus hippocastanum) and small and large leaved limes. Each tree has a metal tree guard for protection against muntjack deer and hares. Michael Harrison notes that approximately 3.5 kilometers of metal rods have been used in the construction of the tree guards.

4 The south western avenue has been reinstated and replanted with a single avenue of Oak (Quercus robur). The alignment of the avenue has not yet been perfected as can be seen by the Google land map [ Fig. 6 ]. It should have been aligned with the entrance road to give visitors an angled view of the house as they approach.

THE CIRCUIT Visitors start their walk from the house or by the garden entrance adjacent to the house in the manner of the eighteenth century circuit [ Fig.7:Master Plan ] walking towards The Warrell and on to the Main Lake.

The yew trees at the start of the yew walk were probably a hedge rather than the present specimen trees. Walking down the length of the yew avenue you arrive at the new River Walk. The pathway passes by magnificent mature specimens of Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum). Branches from these trees have been trained downwards to create arching canopies that overhang the path.

On the original estate map of 1789 a Statue of Jupiter was drawn about half way along the length of the River Walk. Despite some archeological investigations to locate the foundations no trace of them have been found. Now a new goddess resides, Venus, deemed more appropriate by the owner Mr. David Gladstone. It was originally from Crystal Palace following its destruction by fire in 1936. At the end of the walk you reach the small lake known as The Warrell.

This lake is on axis with the house. On either side lie two Tuscan temples with double facades, one facing the lake, the other facing the house. They may have been designed by Capability Brown but no records confirm this. Various vistas begin and end on these temples [ Fig 7 : Master Plan ]. Passing along the margins of The Warrell, on the southern shore, the gravel path passes the raised roof to a boathouse rebuilt in 1999 - 2000. A pairing boathouse lay on the opposite side of the lake but has long since collapsed.

The path then arrives at the Five Arch Bridge. This bridge dams and transfers the water from the river or canal behind by means of a central chute in the middle archway. Similarities can be found with the Kent Shell Bridge at Stowe although the Wotton version has two tiers as opposed to the one at Stowe. It is worth noting that the lake landscape at Wotton has a seasonal feed derived from winter rainfall from Brill Hill and not from a single source, whether river or stream.

En route to the Palladian Bridge the visitor passes a variation on the Ha-Ha, similar in style to those at Stowe. A ditch is excavated along the length of the field boundary. On the steepest side the roots of a mixed species hedge strengthen the sides. Livestock is prevented from jumping out by the depth of the ditch. Visitors stand at the top of the steepest side and have an uninterrupted view of an architectural feature or vista.

5 The Palladian Bridge completed in the 1980ʼs is a reconstruction by the Estate Manager and a local carpenter, loosely based on designs and sketches of the original. It spans a section of the lake that Thomas Whately describes in his Observations on Modern Gardening 1 as being an “ elegant bridge with a colonnade upon it “.

Leaving the bridge you walk towards China Island and Mab. The approach is by a rustic bridge a restored by Elaine Brunner. China Island was constructed by Capability Brown and had, till the last owners removed it, a China House. This folly had a chequered history. It originally came from Stowe, was placed at Wotton in the 1750ʼs and taken to Ireland in 1947. The National Trust tracked it down, restored it and took it back to Stowe. Elaine Brunner replaced it with the somewhat cryptically named folly Mab.

A ruined plinth marks the site of an Urn formerly on axis with the house. The Urn is now by the house. By the narrowest of bridges it is possible to cross over to the northern side of the lake to the Octagon [ Fig. 8 ]. This was reconstructed 20 years ago using a third of the slates from the original structure. It was designed in the 1750ʼs by Sanderson Miller or George Grenville or, as was more likely, by both gentlemen. From the Octagon various views and vistas link to focal points such as the House and the Statue of Venus.

Figure 8 : The Octagon

Sanderson Miller was also involved with Grotto Island at the behest of Mrs.Grenville. The Isle was possibly constructed by Capability Brown . Continuing along the circuit the visitor passes the Victorian Boathouse. Nearby the Vase Mound provides a viewing platforms for artists to paint from

1 Whately T. Observations on Modern Gardening. Fourth Edition. 1777

6 or visitors to stand and survey the landscape (others are the Pine Mound and the Oak Mound).

The nearby Malay Hut was built in a thatched South Sea style. The guidebook for Wotton House records that itʼs was deliberately placed to emphasis the pastoral views and its isolation from all man made artifacts.

The Statue of Neptune is a brilliantly conceived one dimensional wooden reconstruction of the original stone sculpture. It stands seven foot high and is approximately in the same position as the stone original. It was a key feature that had an iconographic relationship to the statue of Venus (née Jupiter) and other focal points. Nearby is a ruined stone statue of a dolphin and boy [ Fig 9 ]. All are part of the original assemblage that stood around Neptune.

Figure 9 : Ruined stone statue of a dolphin and boy. Part of the original assemblage of the Statue of Neptune

A large crescent arched bridge that is impossible to climb, greets the visitor as he or she continues along the circuit walk. The original bridge was blown down in the 19th century and never replaced.

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Figure 10 : The Arched Bridge

The current version [ Fig. 10. The Arched Bridge ] was completed during Elaine Brunnerʼs time. A picture bears witness to the similarities between the reconstruction and the original. Its purpose was to provide a short cut and viewing platform (the original bridge was just as steep as the current bridge and you would have needed to be an intrepid climber to walk over it).

Figure 11 : The Rotunda after the theft of the lead roof with blue tarpaulin cover

8 The Rotunda bears poignant witness to the dangers faced in the maintenance and protection of the architectural elements of the Wotton Landscape. In November of 2009 the lead was stripped from the roof of the building resulting in £5000 to £6000 pounds worth of damage. The roof is now covered with a blue plastic tarpaulin [Fig. 11 ]. The stolen lead was worth £500 – £600 pounds. The Rotunda was originally an eighteenth century addition and commands views down to the lake and other focal points.

Windmill Hill is an interesting feature. It was as itʼs name implies a hill for a windmill, part of the medieval settlement of Wotton. London and Wise sited the entrance to the property here and [ Fig. 5 ] framed by a long avenue of trees it connects to what is now the A41.They also used the hill as a key radial design device with various axial avenues radiating outwards to frame views to the surrounding landscape.

Passing the Poplar Vase the next feature is the Turkish Tent. It is not known who designed it but tents were a frequent feature of eighteenth century landscapes. A similar feature, currently undergoing restoration, exists at Painshill Park in Surrey designed by Charles Hamilton (1704 – 1786).

Finally a statue of the god Mars was situated to be seen from the Turkish Tent giving axial views to Venus and the House. All that remains of this statue are ruins amongst a narrow belt of woodland.

MAINTENANCE One of the most interesting aspects of the Estate at Wotton is the maintenance. It is worth recalling Thomas Jeffersonʼs observation when he visited Wotton in 1786 that the estate was much neglected with only two people to maintain it 2. The estate is no longer neglected but is still maintained by the same number of people.

The Estate is managed by one full time working Estate Manager, Michael Harrison and a part time assistant two days per week throughout the year. For specific tasks contractual help is available at certain times of the year. The average hourly labour input per week is 64 hours. Taking into account contractual help this rises by a further 48 hours per week for an additional two weeks, mainly in the summer months of July. This gives a yearly average of 3296 hours, less approximately two weeks holidays. Work by the Estate Manager is not confined to maintenance alone and other activities intervene such as office work, conducting interested parties around the estate, liaison with the owner etc. Therefore the average amount of hours spent on maintenance for the estate work is lower.

The Estate at Wotton is a complex mixture of lake, field, woodland, lawn and architectural elements. This is reflected in the skills and type of maintenance required and applied in the grounds.

2 Jefferson . T. Memorandum Books 1786 - 04 - 06

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Maintenance on the estate consists of grass cutting, weed control (both aquatic and land), building repairs, routine site checks on all aspects of the Pleasure Grounds (e.g watercourses, wildlife, meadow, lawn and the many and varied architectural features). The Estate is approximately 400 acres in extent of which half are the original eighteenth century Pleasure Grounds.

On a seasonal basis the maintenance can be broadly categorized as follows :

AUTUMN Dredging and clearance works to the lake. This work is timed to take advantage of the (theoretically) driest time of the year. An application of Roundup (one part in a million) is applied in the summer months when reed growth is active followed by clearance of the reed beds by digger and dumper. This type of work is only undertaken in areas where the reed growth is dense. Where it is not dense an application of Roundup is used and the reeds are allowed to natural decompose in situ. This method is sufficient to clear an area of the lake without recourse to machinery.

Removal of leaves , final autumnal lawn mowing.

WINTER Clearance of undergrowth in woodland and semi woodland areas e.g fallen trees, bramble and rough grass . This is accompanied by associated tree and shrub planting. In some cases this is replacement planting from specimens that have failed. In most cases, it is new planting that is generally part of the Management and Research document produced by Johnny Phibbs. Examples include the planting of the original London and Wise Avenue that extends from the front of the house down to the lake. In other instances it is less dramatic but is evidenced by recent tree planting in the vicinity of the Turkish Tent.

Check and adjust tree ties and tree guards.

Repair, renewal and extension of the gravel path based on the original eighteenth century circuit. Approximately 400m2 of the original pathway has been reinstated. This is an ongoing project.

SPRING First spring cut of lawn areas. There is no annual scarification or feeding program.

First spring application of Roundup around base of trees to control weed growth.

SUMMER Start of the summer mowing regime. The extensive lawn areas are cut once a week. Meadow and long woodland grass areas are given a once a season cut in July or August depending on seasonal conditions (rain).

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Lawns are cut by the part time (all year round) personel. Outside contractors are hired to cut areas of long grass in the woodland and meadow areas.

Second summer application of Roundup around base of trees to control weed growth.

MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE Management at Wotton House is an efficient, small team consisting of David Gladstone, the owner and the Estate Manager, Michael Harrison. There are no layers of management or advisory committees that typify similar properties and administrations such as the National Trust.

In this respect Wotton House is quite unique. Decisions, once taken, can be executed with minimum delay. It is instructive to contrast this with, and I quote, the staffing structure at Sheffield Park a National Trust property, in East Sussex: “ Head Gardener reports to property manager, who in turn consults the Trustʼs Area Director. Regional parks and garden curator and garden advisor also have input, with occasional visits.“ 3

MANAGEMENT POLICIES AND TECHNIQUES Given the limited staffing levels and the extensive acreage under management Roundup is considered to be a vital tool. Without this form of chemical weed control the Estate Manager does not consider it possible to maintain this property effectively.

In respect of the acreage and maintenance 50 acres are lake and aquatic habitat, with woodland habitat accounting for an approximately 100 acres. The grassland totals 50 acres whether classified as lawn, field or meadow.

Variable height grass management is used throughout the Estate. In practice this means that two grass cutting regimes are in place.

Short grass: lawns in the front and rear of the house. Average height approximately 2.5 -3.5cm. Lawn mowing is completed with a gang mower with four cylinder units towed by small tractor. Each cylinder has approximately100 cm length cut. The use of this machinery has resulted in the main lawn areas being mown in 4 hours instead of 2 days.

Longer grass: meadow and woodland areas. Average height approximately 30 cm - 40 cm plus to approximately 10 cm after July/August cut. Longer grass is cut using a strimmer and wheel mounted machine brush woodcutter.

Arisings are left to compost naturally with both mowing regimes.

3 The Management & Maintenance of Historic Parks, Gardens & Landscapes . Pge 293

11 The extensive wetland habitats provide a wildlife sanctuary with no shooting allowed. This extends to the woodlands and meadows within the Pleasure Grounds. The relatively undisturbed nature of the site has resulted in a rich flora and faun uniquely representative of the Buckinghamshire locale. In recent years Ospreys have rested at Wotton after migrating between Africa and Scotland in the Spring and the Autumn. The presence of these birds is a remarkable testament to the management and conservation policies in place at Wotton.

New planting and replacement planting continues. Over 300 new trees and shrubs are added each year. If the deceased tree or shrub can be identified from the old stump then the replacement will be the same species. If it cannot be identified then the replacement will be within the period. The extensive collection is labeled with metal tags showing species (but not family, genera, country of origin or date of planting).

BUDGET For the day to day running of the garden a budget has been established that allows for labour (both internal and external), materials such as machinery, horticultural sundries, tree and shrub material including planting.

Specific projects for restoration of buildings or lake works are examined on a yearly basis depending on circumstances. Unexpected events can take precedence such as the removal by thieves of the exterior lead lining to the Rotunda.

FUTURE POLICY CONSIDERATIONS Visitor numbers are low (50 maximum) with a mixture of guided tours and un- conducted visitors. There are no plans in place to increase visitor numbers. However, if more people knew of the outstanding beauty and importance of this site there would undoubtedly be an increase in visitor numbers. If regulated correctly this could provide income for repairs, ongoing restoration, planting and labour.

Correct and careful publicity with suitable garden writers, journalists and garden photographers could be considered. Two of the country most eminent garden photographers are within twenty miles of Wotton. Both are unaware of Wotton. Individuals like these are valuable sources of publicity.

Roundup is a key technique for the management of the landscape at Wotton. If, as is possible, restrictions are placed on its future use then this would pose serious problems. Alternative strategies need to be considered for the control of aquatic areas (reed beds) and land based areas (borders, tree planting rings, gravel pathways etc). This includes differing plant mowing strategies and grass control methods.

The extensive areas of long grass at Wotton are ideal for a range of naturalized bulbs and perennials. Planting like this increases the season of

12 interest considerably but not the maintenance. At Waltham Place 4 extensive areas have been naturalized with bulbs and selected areas with Iris sibirica. This style of planting is not new. William Robinson wrote in 1911 in his book The English Garden a complete chapter on Wild Gardening 5

A tree survey would provide key information for existing planting and future planting. Labeling of the tree collection is good but additional information could be provided such as family, genera, country of origin, date of planting and tree number.

Projects covering site and study work could be conducted in conjunction with an arboricultural or horticultural college or botanical garden (Kew or Edinburgh). Projects could involve students and tutors working with the owner and estate manager. It provides the relevant institution, tutors & students with useful course and work projects with benefits to Wotton.

4 www.walthamplace.com 5 Robinson.W : The English Garden. Pge 157

13 BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS , PERIODICALS AND GUIDES

1. Jefferson.T. Memorandum Books 1786 source : www.archive.net/pdf

2. National Trust : Rooted in History studies in Garden Conservation : National Trust Enterprises : 2001

3. Ed. John Watkins & Tom Wright : The Management & Maintenance of Historic Parks, Gardens & Landscapes : The English Heritage Handbook : London : Francis Lincoln : 2007

4. Robinson.W : The English Garden. London : John Murray : 1911 : Pge 157

5. Whately T. Observations on Modern Gardening. Fourth Edition. London T.Payne & Son : 1777 ; source : www.archive.net/pdf

6. The Pleasure Grounds at Wotton : Wotton Guide

WEBSITES

7. www.bucksgeology.org.uk

8. www.buckscc.gov.uk

9. www.landscapecharacter.org.uk

10. www.walthamplace.com

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