Information for record number MWA12910:
Mallory Court gardens, Harbury Lane, Bishop's Tachbrook

Summary	Early 20th century formal gardens designed by Percy Morley Horder to accompany a country house built to his design.

What Is It?
Type:	Formal Garden, Paddock, Kitchen Garden, Rose Garden, Pool, Fountain, Garden Terrace, Balustrade, Swimming Pool, Rock Garden
Period:	Modern (1914 AD - 2050 AD)

Where Is It?
Parish:	Bishops Tachbrook
District:	Warwick, Warwickshire
Grid Reference:	SP 32 62
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)

Level of Protection	National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: ) Registered Park or Garden (Grade: II) Sites & Monuments Record

Description
Source Number
1 Mallory Court's 4 hectare site approached from Harbury Lane to the north-east. The entrance comprises a simple opening in the boundary hedge, which leads to a tarmac drive extending south-south-west for 50m through an avenue of mature grafted horse chestnuts, to reach the carriage court below the north facade of the house. The carriage court is approximately rectangular on plan, and is enclosed to the north-east, north-west, and west by low stone walls; to the east and south it is enclosed by wings of the house. The entrance to the carriage court from the drive is adjoined by a pair of squat stone piers surmounted by ball finials, while to the north-west a similar opening provides access to the gardens. The centre of the carriage court is occupied by a geometrical panel of lawn with a centrally placed stone urn. From the carriage court a service drive leads south-east to provide access to the service wing, and to the early 20th century stables and motor house. PRINCIPAL BUILDING Mallory Court stands on an artificially levelled terrace towards the centre of the site. gardenS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS The formal gardens are situated to the west, south, and south-east of the house, with areas of informal pleasure ground to the south and west. From the carriage court an entrance leads west to the rose garden. Approximately rectangular on plan, the rose garden is enclosed to the north by a hornbeam hedge, and to the west by a belt of evergreen shrubbery which screens it from the paddock beyond. To the south the garden is bounded by a low stone and brick retaining wall, while a gravelled walk extends below the west facade of the house, which encloses the garden to the east. The rose garden comprises a level lawn in which is set a series of geometrical beds planted with roses. The centre of the garden is marked by a circular stone-edged pool with a centrally placed art deco-style stone fountain. To the south of the rose garden, a level terrace is laid out as a double tennis lawn enclosed to the south by a yew hedge, and to the west by a raised, semicircular viewing terrace backed by a topiary Portugal laurel hedge. To the east the tennis lawn is enclosed by a plain stone balustrade which forms the west side of the formal garden south of the house. The stone steps to the east of the tennis lawn descend in a single flight to a stone-flagged landing before dividing into three flights, the outer two being curved, to reach the level of the formal garden. A similar arrangement of steps descends from the east side of the garden, at a point opposite the western steps, to give access to the croquet lawn. The formal garden is adjoined to the north by two terraces retained by stone walls. stone steps descend from the east and west ends of the terrace to the lower terrace, which comprises a narrow, stone-flagged walk with a stone bench seat placed against the retaining wall at its central point, opposite a flight of stone steps descending to the garden. The formal garden is laid out with a cruciform arrangement of stone-flagged walks dividing four panels of lawn. The central point of the garden is marked by a square, stone-edged fountain tank, while to the south the garden is enclosed by low stone walls flanked by stone seats set in stone-walled recesses. Openings to the south-west and south-east allow access to the rock garden and pleasure grounds beyond. The steps to the east of the formal garden descend to a further approximately rectangular terrace, today known as the croquet lawn but marked on Horder's garden plan as a tennis lawn. The lawn is enclosed to the west by brick and stone walls which retain a planted bank, and to the north, east, and south by yew hedges. To the north of the croquet lawn, and approached by steps descending from the east end of the south terrace, is a long grass walk flanked by deep herbaceous borders which are backed to the south by yew hedges, and to the north by espalier fruit trees, separating the herbaceous walk from the kitchen garden. An opening cut in the yew hedge to the south of the tennis lawn leads to an area of informal lawns. Immediately south of the tennis lawn is an art deco-style swimming pool, comprising a rectangular pool lined with green tiles set in a paved surround, with an octagonal, two-tier fountain to the west. To the south-west of the swimming pool the ground falls away gently towards a tennis court and a timber and brick shingle-roofed garden house. Constructed between 1939 and 1950, the garden house contains a living room, bedroom, and kitchen, and was originally covered with a thatch roof. To the south-east of the swimming pool the informal lawns sweep ROUND the southern end of the formal garden. A rocky outcrop is planted with shrubs and specimen conifers, to form a transition to a more extensive rock garden incorporating a pool and watercourse immediately south of the formal garden. The rock garden was laid out in 1947 to the design of Sidney Lillim. A further area of lawns planted with specimen trees and standard fruit trees returns north-east, providing access to the croquet lawn and kitchen garden. PARK An area of paddock is situated to the west of the gardens. Approached from the pleasure grounds to the south-west of the house, and by a path leading through the shrubbery west of the rose garden and tennis lawn, the paddock is laid to grass with scattered specimen trees. kitchen garden The kitchen garden is situated below a late 20th century terrace walk extending beneath the east facade of the house. This terrace replaces an early 20th century terrace situated slightly further west, which was covered by the late 20th century hotel extension. The kitchen garden is laid out to a late 20th century scheme as an ornamental potager, with rectangular vegetable beds separated by grass and gravel walks, some of which pass beneath early 20th century metal rose arches. To the north the garden is enclosed by a wall constructed in distinctive narrow, plum-coloured brick. Fruit trees are trained against this wall beneath early 20th century cast-iron and glass fruit-tree protectors. To the south the garden is adjoined by the herbaceous walk, while to the east it adjoins an area of orchard and lawns, in which are set further 20th century vegetable and fruit borders. To the north-east of the kitchen garden, some similar brick walls survive from the former frame yard, the site of which is now partly occupied by late 20th century staff accommodation. 2 3 Lovie describes this garden as a particularly intact example of an early 20th centurey garden influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement. house 1915. garden contains strong architecutural elements contemporary with the house. At the time of Lovie's report (1996/7) the site can be shown to have changed very little since 1950 and generally well-maintained. Teerraces, pools, herbaceous walk, ornamental kitchen garden, orchard, oriental rock/water garden, fine tiled ar deco swimming pool. At time of Lovie's report, house an hotel.
Sources
Source No: 2 Source Type: Bibliographic reference Title: Warwickshire Register Review Data Tables (Warwick) Author/originator: Lovie, Jonathan Date: 1997 Page Number: Volume/Sheet:     Source No: 3 Source Type: Bibliographic reference Title: Warwickshire Register Review Report & Recommendations Author/originator: Lovie, Jonathan Date: 1997 Page Number: Volume/Sheet:     Source No: 1 Source Type: Statuatory List Title: National Heritage List for England Author/originator: Historic England Date: Page Number: Volume/Sheet:

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