Durham Peninsula Gardens NZ273418 June 2018 Fiona Green
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Durham County Council Review of Historic Parks, Gardens and Designed Landscapes of Local Interest Durham Peninsula 3 - Durham Peninsula Gardens Durham Peninsula 3 - Durham Peninsula Gardens Grid Reference NZ273418 Date June 2018 Author Fiona Green Planning Status Not previously identified in a local plan as Historic Park and Garden Within Durham City Conservation Area Site Designations Partially within Durham Castle and Cathedral World Heritage Site Bow Lane Hatfield College office building II Terrace Wall north of Bow Lane I Terrace wall south of Bow Lane and east of Kingsgate I North Bailey No. 1 North Bailey II No. 2 North Bailey II No. 3 North Bailey II No. 4 North Bailey and castle wall incorporated II* Castle wall behind no 3 North Bailey I Castle wall behind Hatfield Cottage I No. 5 North Bailey II Hatfield College dining room block II House north of St. Mary-Le-Bow II St. Mary-Le-Bow Heritage Centre I No. 16 North Bailey (St. Chads College) II No. 17 North Bailey (St. Chads College) II No. 18 North Bailey (North part) (St. Chads College) II No. 18 North Bailey (South part) (St. Chads College) II No. 19 North bailey (North part) (St. Chads College) (Lightfoot House) II No. 19 North Bailey (South part) (St. Chads College) II Wall on north side of garden behind no.19 North II Wall on south side of garden behind no. 19 II No. 20 North Bailey ( Lightfoot House, St. Chads College) II No. 21 North Bailey (St. Chads College) II No. 22 North Bailey II Durham County Council Review of Historic Parks, Gardens and Designed Landscapes of Local Interest Durham Peninsula 3 - Durham Peninsula Gardens No. 23 North Bailey II No. 24 North Bailey (Union Society) II No. 25 North Bailey II No. 26 North Bailey II No. 27 North Bailey II No. 28 North Bailey II House to south of no. 28 North Bailey II Castle wall behind nos. 16-22 (consecutive) and no. 22A (St. Chads College) I Castle wall behind nos. 26-28 (consecutive) I Gatehouse to the College (see under The College) I Chapter clerks office (see under The College) II Wall with entrance arch and mounting block, opposite to nos. 19-22a (consecutive) North Bailey II War Memorial to east of Cathedral II No. 38 North Bailey II No. 39 North Bailey II No. 44 North Bailey II No. 45 North Bailey II No. 46 North Bailey II No. 48 (Post Office) North Bailey II No. 49 North Bailey II South Bailey House of no. 1 South Bailey II No .1 South Bailey (St. Johns College, part) II No. 2 South Bailey (St. Johns College, part) II No. 3 South Bailey (St. Johns College) II* No. 4 South Bailey (St. Johns College), first part II No. 4 South Bailey (St. Johns College), second part II* No. 4 South Bailey (St. Johns College), third part II No. 5 South Bailey II Garden wall South of no 5 South Bailey II No. 6 South Bailey (South part) II No. 7 South Bailey II Nos. 8 and 8A South Bailey (St. Cuthberts Society) II No. 9 South Bailey II No. 10 South Bailey II No. 11 South Bailey II Wall behind St. Johns College from nos. 1-11 South Bailey (consecutive), and garden house attached behind no 11 South Bailey I Durham County Council Review of Historic Parks, Gardens and Designed Landscapes of Local Interest Durham Peninsula 3 - Durham Peninsula Gardens Wall behind nos. 12 and 12A South Bailey I No. 12 South Bailey (St. Cuthberts Society) II* (AM) Water Gate (AM14) II* Cathedral precinct wall II Wall to west of no.13 South Bailey I No. 13 South Bailey II Street wall, gates and railings north of no 13 II No.16 South Bailey II Church of St. Mary the Less II Garage and boundary wall west and north of Church of St Mary the Less II History The Durham peninsula includes many designed landscapes of historic interest and these have been divided into compartments for the purpose of local list reports. 1 Durham Castle Precincts and Palace Green, 2 Durham Cathedral Precincts, 3 Durham Peninsula Gardens and 4 Durham Riverbanks. The bailey walls, which divide the castle and cathedral buildings from the riverbanks were built by Bishop Flambard (1099 – 1128). Priory Accounts of the fourteenth century mention gardens below the city wall. In 1508 Bishop Bainbridge gave the prior and convent 'all the right bank of the river between Elvet and Framwellgate Bridges which lay below the castle and cathedral walls, down to the Wear and the river itself'. The left side was already in their possession. In 1539 the Benedictine Priory surrendered to Henry VIII after which the cathedral property was administered by the Dean and Chapter who regulated leases of properties in Durham City including rentals for gardens. By the eighteenth century Durham became a venue for recreation and offered facilities including prestigious town houses, theatre, assembly rooms, a race track and public walks. Forsters plan of Durham (1754) shows gardens to the Bailey Houses some of which included gazebos built into the City Wall to take views across the river and countryside beyond. As the Bailey houses became gentrified more and more gardens behind the houses are recorded with garths below the city wall. Four icehouses survive which date from the late 18th or the early 19th century on banks below the south bailey gardens. A folly 'The Count's House' stands at the base of the riverbanks south of Prebend's Bridge. By the early 20th-century the bailey houses were gradually taken over by the university although the gardens continued to be maintained. Durham County Council Review of Historic Parks, Gardens and Designed Landscapes of Local Interest Durham Peninsula 3 - Durham Peninsula Gardens Description Bok’s engraving of 1670, The Prospect of Durham from the South East, shows some of the Bailey gardens with towers, others have gates allowing access to the lower banks. The gardens to the Bailey town houses are shown on Samuel Buck's The South West Prospect of the City of Durham (1745) laid out in formal arrangements. The riverbank gardens below the city wall are not shown in great detail although the Principal’s Walk, a terrace in the garden to no.4 South Bailey is visible and gazebos are shown below some of the Bailey gardens. The upper gardens to the Bailey houses are shown on Foster’s Plan of the City of Durham published in 1754. The gardens all had similar symmetrical layouts. Some gardens were larger than others such as the Bowes garden at no. 4 South Bailey. The 1857 and 1892 OS shows clear details of gardens and features. One feature of interest is the detached town gardens which are apparent on the east side of the north and south Bailey houses. An aerial photograph taken in 1960 shows the allotments on Bow Banks were well cared for but they are now overgrown with self sown vegetation. Recommendation Add to List of Parks, Gardens and Designed Landscapes of Local Interest Durham County Council Review of Historic Parks, Gardens and Designed Landscapes of Local Interest Durham Peninsula 3 - Durham Peninsula Gardens Significance Factor Commentary Interest Local Regional National International Age Medieval (1066 - 1540) and Post Medieval (1541 - 1901) Y Aesthetic Value Of Regional Interest Y Landscape or Horticultural The riverbank gardens were similar to those on 18th-century Y Interest plans of Newcastle and Bath which were made at the same time. The Durham Riverbanks were an important area for promenading in Durham. Similar public walks are to be found in other towns and cities such as York where the New Walk was instigated in the 1730s. Designer Group Value Durham World Heritage Site. See listings above for Durham Y Peninsula Gardens. See also Durham Peninsula: Durham Castle Precincts and Palace Green. Durham Cathedral precincts, Durham Riverbanks Rarity Of regional interest Y Historic Interest Private gentry house gardens, detached town gardens, public Y walks Historical Association Bowes family, Count Burowlawski, Canon Tristram, Y Social and Communal Value Private gardens. Riverbank walks with public access. Y Evidential Value Considerable Y Overall significance High Y Durham County Council Review of Historic Parks, Gardens and Designed Landscapes of Local Interest Durham Peninsula 3 - Durham Peninsula Gardens Background Information Location, Area, Boundaries, Landform, Setting Entrances and approaches Numerous entrances via Bailey houses and public footpaths Principal Buildings North and South Bailey Houses, Durham World Heritage Site, Durham Cathedral, Prebend's Bridge, the Count's House, Ice House north of Count's House. Gardens & Pleasure Grounds North and South Bailey gardens, riverbank walks. References Durham University Library Special Collections Bok V. (1670) The Prospect of Durham from the South East Buck S. (1745) The South West Prospect of the City of Durham Foster T. (1754) Plan of the City of Durham Dean & Chapter Library, Durham Chapter Acts Book vol. 1867-1876 3.4.1875, 17.4.1875, 26.6.1875 Muniments of the Dean & Chapter of Durham Published Sources Allan G (1847) Historical and Descriptive View of the City of Durham and its Environs A History of the County of Durham: Volume 3 (1928) Simeon of Durham, Op. Hist. (Rolls Ser.), i, 81 Roberts, M. (1994) Book of Durham Historic Landscape Areas of garden and recreation gardens, burgage plots. Characterisation Further Research Potential for further research as archival sources are extensive. .