Information for record number MWA6950:
18th-19th century formal gardens at Honington Hall, Honington

Summary	Part of the 18th century Honington Hall parkland was developed in the 19th century as formal gardens.

What Is It?
Type:	Formal Garden, Garden Terrace, Italian Garden, Loggia, Balustrade
Period:	Modern (1740 AD - 2050 AD)

Where Is It?
Parish:	Honington
District:	Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference:	SP 26 42
(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

Picture(s) attached
Description
Source Number
1 5 Honington Hall’s 72 hectare site comprises 8 hectares of gardens and pleasure grounds, and 64 hectares of parkland. The formal gardens lie principally to the south and south-east of the Hall, with informal pleasure grounds to the east and west. There are further areas of informal pleasure grounds to the west of the River Stour. The pleasure grounds to the east of the Hall comprise a large, segmental-shaped lawn, which is enclosed by evergreen shrubbery on a bank to the north which screens a wall and service buildings, and by similar shrubbery to the south which screens the churchyard. To the east the pleasure grounds are bounded by a service drive and metal estate fencing which allows views across the adjacent park. Some 130m north-east of the Hall an 18th century stone urn with carved foliate decoration and a flame finial stands on a tall stone pedestal. A semicircular declivity at the east end of the lawn appears to relate to the curved eastern boundary of the forecourt shown on the Bucks' engraving of 1731. The early 18th cerntury scheme comprised a walled forecourt with clipped trees flanking a central walk. The gardens to the south of the Hall are approached through an arched gateway at the south-east corner of the forecourt which remains from the mid 18th century south quadrant wall. The mid 18th century loggia stands on a balustraded, stone-flagged terrace with stone steps to east and west, which overlooks a late 19th century formal garden comprising four geometric, yew-hedged enclosures, each containing a panel of lawn. At the intersection of the cruciform grass walks between the yew enclosures, an 18th century stone fountain stands in a circular pool. A gravel walk runs below the south terrace, leading to the pleasure grounds to the west of the Hall, while a further walk follows the western boundary of the churchyard, which is here screened by a row of mature limes. This walk extends 100m south-east from the Hall to reach an early 18th century column sundial. A further area of formal garden known as the Italian Garden lies to the south of the churchyard. Here a small, early 19th century classical portico supported by Greek Doric columns stands against the west end of the rubble-stone churchyard wall. steps ascend at the rear of the temple to a small upper room. Parallel to the wall a mixed border is retained by a low drystone wall, while the lawn to the south is laid out with a symmetrical arrangement of two groups of four clipped domes of golden yew. These frame a pair of 18th century stone which comprise a fluted basin with masks supported by a spirally fluted baluster pedestal. To the east a stone stepped circular base partly planted with shrubs supports three stone columns which remain from a 19th century circular conservatory. The formal garden is enclosed to the east and south by trees and evergreen shrubbery, and together with the yew enclosures below the south terrace, was created by Frederick Townsend in the late 19th century. The stone-flagged terrace below the south facade of the Hall returns along the west facade, with a central square projection which until the late 19th century supported the early 19th century stone. This now terminates the north end of a gravel walk which runs below and parallel to the west terrace. The portico contains a small, wall-mounted marble fountain and basin, while a pair of 18th century stone recumbent figures, removed in the mid 20th century from the cascade, flank the portico. stone steps adjacent to the portico descend to a lower, grass terrace. To the north, overhung by mature yews, an alcove surrounded by rustic stone and partly enclosed by timber lattice contains a timber bench seat aligned on a view south up the river. The lawns and terraces replace formal gardens comprising a series of terraces, geometric enclosures and a pair of pavilions on the bank of the canalised. These features were removed by Joseph Townsend in the mid 18th century with the advice of Sanderson. A grass walk extends north along the river bank to reach the mid 18th century stepped cascade 100m west-north-west of the Hall. The cascade is flanked by flat-topped piers of partly vermiculated stone which contain recesses, originally arched but altered to a rectangular form in the 19th century. The piers were at one time surmounted by the recumbent figures which now flank the portico north-west of the Hall. Some 30m north-east of the cascade a level-topped mound surrounded by evergreen shrubbery is the site of the square Chinese seat shown in one of Thomas Robins' 1759 views. No visible trace of this structure remains today. The pleasure grounds to the west of the river were in the 18th century reached either by a boat, or by a walk which extended north from the Chinese seat along the river 700m to a point opposite Tredington Mill, where a bridge crossed the river. The pleasure grounds in Ray Wood to the west of the river comprise a walk, now a private footpath, which for part of its length runs between the River Stour and a serpentine backwater which was remodelled with the advice of Miller circa 1744. 160m west of the Hall and aligned on its west facade, the mid 18th century grotto remains. Vermiculated rocks are set into the east face of an earth mound; the grotto faces a heavily silted pool formed from the widened backwater. The walk continues south from the grotto, climbing to higher ground parallel to the Oxford road. Some 190m south-west of the Hall Ray Wood narrows. The boundary plantation is enclosed from the park by an 18th century ha-ha and late 20th century fences. The walk continues 450m south through Ray Wood before turning east across the park. Crossing Honington bridge the walk, today discernible as a raised mound, passes 130m north through the south-east park before entering evergreen shrubbery and continuing for 270m to re-enter the gardens south-east of the Hall. 2 Lovie reports late 17th century house originally with formal gardens but removed in 1740s. Pleasure grounds remodelled 19th century. 4 A series of probably post-medieval garden features are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken in 1946. The site is centred on SP 26167 42724 and extends over an area which measures 84m east-west and 60m north-south. The site comprises a pair of lawn terraces, a boundary bank, suggesting a garden feature and a rectilinear mound. A pair of spoil heaps at the base of one of these terraces suggests further garden features. The boundary bank appears to have been levelled on aerial photographs taken in 1993 and is centred on SP 26160 42732. It is oriented NNW-SSE, across the lawn. The rectilinear mound is located at SP 26118 42704, directly in front of the house and against the drive. It measures 24 metres long by 16 metres wide, and appears to have been levelled on aerial photographs taken in 1953. This site has been mapped from aerial photographs as part of the South East Warwickshire and Cotswolds HLS Target Areas National Mapping Programme.
Sources
Source No: 1 Source Type: Bibliographic reference Title: Register of Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England Author/originator: English Heritage Date: 1994 Page Number: Volume/Sheet:     Source No: 2 Source Type: Bibliographic reference Title: Warwickshire Register Review Data Tables (Stratford on Avon) 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: 4 Source Type: Desk Top Study Title: SE Warwickshire and Cotswolds NMP Project Author/originator: Russell Priest Date: 2010-2012 Page Number: Volume/Sheet:     Source No: 5 Source Type: Statuatory List Title: National Heritage List for England Author/originator: Historic England Date: Page Number: Volume/Sheet:

Images:
	A view of the gardens at Honington Hall, Honington Copyright: Warwickshire County Council Date: 1920s
Click here for larger image

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