On 9th July 2024, returning favourite to the club Doug Stewart gave an interesting and incredibly humorous talk on the history of RHS Bridgewater (designed by Tom Stuart Smith) and the development of the gardens as they are today.
RHS Bridgewater in the grounds of Worsley New Hall has a fascinating history. The Hall
and terraced gardens were built by the 1st Earl of Ellesmere between 1840 and 1845 at a
cost of £100,000, the equivalent of £6.7m today. It was a reflection of his wealth and
status and notable visitors included Queen Victoria in 1851 and 1857 and King Edward
V11 and Queen Alexandra in 1909. In World War One it was a Red Cross hospital and
was sold in 1923 (to pay death duties). Like many other stately homes during this
period, it fell into disrepair. In World War Two it was a training ground for the Lancashire
Fusiliers and also a scout camp! After the Hall was damaged by fire in 1943 it was sold
to a scrap merchant for £2,500 and demolition began. The Peel Estates purchased the site in 1984 and had lavish plans to develop the site into a hotel and golf course.
In 2015 the Peel Estates offered the 154-acre site to the RHS on a 100-year lease The site
was so overgrown with brambles and ferns that it was impenetrable and drones had to
be used to photograph and undertake the initial site assessment. Pigs were used to clear the ground! The garden was expected to attract 700,000 visitors annually and create many new jobs in the local area.
Before any works commenced the RHS undertook an exercise to determine the ‘Spirit of
the Place’ which is a vital step in the garden design process, gathering together photos,
local records and plans so that they had an understanding of the site and its distinctive
nature. They then undertook in 2016 an ecological survey to determine the baseline of
the flora and wildlife on the site (surprisingly very limited). This formed the basis of the
ecological goals and the biodiversity action plan. In line with the local action plan, the
RHS decided to leave the woodland and lowland fell areas as they were and instead to
actively manage these areas. The final stage in the planning process was to determine
the water management plan so that the gardens could be self-sustainable and water-neutral.
Finally, the work on the site could commence starting with the infrastructure – car
parks, visitor centre, drainage, toilets, lakes etc so that initially the site resembled a
mammoth construction site! Once the infrastructure was in place work on the actual
gardens could commence with the initial focus on rebuilding the 11-acre walled garden,
the paradise and the kitchen garden.
The paths in the walled garden were designed to replicate the mine shafts underneath
but over time planting has been used to soften the hard design. Structure in the garden
was a key design focus. Elsewhere geometric designs were used for the paths to
encourage visitors to meander in different directions in the gardens. Finally planting could commence. The aim was to use British plants where possible, create a natural look and feel to the gardens whilst working within the biodiversity and water management plans.
Traditional methods of training plants along the walled garden were used as well as
planting traditional varieties of fruit trees. In addition, ‘pretty’ branches from the
woodland were used to provide structure and plant support to create a natural effect.
There is an annual eco survey to measure progress in the wildlife diversity and to help
determine planting going forward. The site is an evolving work in progress with the
wildflower meadow the next area to be developed. RHS Bridgewater is now a major
tourist attraction in the Manchester area.
Overall, it was a most enjoyable evening ending with Pam inviting Doug back to the Club!
Liz Johns
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