20 July 2004

Hartwell House says a fond farewell to Brian Saunders, Head Gardener

Brian Saunders, Head Gardener, joined Historic House Hotels in May 1987. Working closely with Richard Broyd, Chairman and Founder of the Historic House Hotel Group, has been responsible for turning Hartwell House's 90 acres of wild and overgrown grounds and gardens into the superb landscape it is today.

The son of a former Head Gardener at Waddesdon Manor, Brian readily accepted the numerous challenges facing him. Supported by a team of three assistants and with the help of Charles Gilchrist, Garden Adviser to Historic House Hotels, he can look back with pride at his achievements.

Hartwell House now boasts a spring garden planted with snowdrops, daffodils, eranthis, primroses and anemones. In 2001, over 10,000 daffodils were planted along the path leading to the Canal Temple. Old varieties of apple trees have been planted in the orchard, and the walls of the former kitchen garden support espaliered apricot, peach, pear and plum trees, of the same variety of those planted in 1856.

A farewell reception and presentation took place at Hartwell House Hotel, Restaurant & Spa hosted by the Chairman, Richard Broyd, and was attended by a large number of colleagues. The Chairman said: 'for 17 years Brian Saunders has done a superb job here at Hartwell and we will greatly miss his energy, knowledge and unstinting devotion to this superb garden'.

ends

Note to Editor

For more PR information please call:

Mary Bird
mary@marybird.net
020 8690 9677

Ian Scott
iscottptnr@dsl.pipex.com
020 7439 1950

Hartwell House - The Gardens

The parkland landscape and garden at Hartwell is one of the most important in England and in its 18th century form it was recorded for posterity in the famous series of paintings by Balthasar Nebot, in the 1730's.

The main vistas and axes were established by James Gibbs in a formal design in the early 18th century, and his important garden buildings still exist and have been restored. The formal gardens were subsequently removed and contoured by Richard Woods, a contemporary of 'Capability' Brown, and it is this 'natural' landscape which is still dominant today.

The most notable trees near the house, apart from the large limes in the main avenue, and other significant limes near the south lawn, include some noble beeches in the woods, old walnut trees in the cattle pasture and some large yews which would have survived from the original garden planting.

In the Hothouse Piece are some magnificent cedars and plane trees which enhance the recently restored Bowling Green Pavilion and West Arbour. The pre-war orchard still remains and gaps have been replanted. So too have the walls of the fruit garden where 1868 labels are still visible and original varieties have been planted. The path to the Hothouse Piece contains exotic looking palms, such as Chusan Palm which, with a stone arch set with ammonites, creates a picturesque garden. This path also passes the restored dairy building which is set within its own newly planted flower garden, where evidence of an older Victorian parterre exists.

The south lawn within the ha-ha surrounds a circular elm-lined pond whose position has not changed since the early garden plans. The lawn also houses two topiary yews clipped as crowns to commemorate the time when the exiled King Louise XVIII of France lived at Hartwell. The perimeter path to the west goes through a beech wood, planted with bulbs and wild flowers as well as mock orange blossom, and Japanese maples. On the east side the path takes us through a yew wood, the borders being planted in a much more gardenesque style than elsewhere. The main trees on the south lawn include tulip trees, Crateagus orientalis (Laciniata) and walnut trees.

An important feature of the landscape is the lake fed by underwater springs and spanned by an 18th century stone bridge by James Paine, which until 1900 crossed the Thames at Kew.

Overall the gardens at Hartwell as seen today comprise many different styles yet each sits comfortably with the 18th century English landscape.