Page 34 - 0FINAL Neo Gothic Church 1754 Report compressed

CA THAL CRIMMINS AR CHITECT 34 Conservation Appraisal of Walled Garden and Historic landscape of Kylemore Abbey www. architect.crimmins.ie

Jupp and Mc Erlan’s report notes. Recently occupied by lines of one not requiring rotation or those the main activity areas within the This path climbs uphill from the flower This is a flat area terraced into sloping
gooseberry bushes which with specialist needs would have been garden. It is bounded on the south by garden along the edge of the stream to terrain and surrounded on three sides
The PATH SYSTEM grown in the smaller plots. Room a partially buried retaining wall which the higher part of the kitchen garden. by a retaining wall. Its location
were planted in the 1950’s
1 would have to be found for the shores up the relatively steep terrain. It links the flower garden with the immediately inside the west gate and
[information, John Joyce]
The kitchen garden has a dense D5 Escallona Hedge. It was removed cultivation of salad plants, peas and It is presently overgrown and its ornamental area to the north west its appearance suggests strongly that
it was a dung and compost pit. It is
original use is presently unknown.
beans, leeks, onions, shallots, celery,
[2:4]. It would appear to have been
network of paths which give access to
the cultivation plots as well as in the 1950’s [information, John Joyce] artichokes, radishes, spinish, rhubarb 2 SMALL IRREGULARLY SHAPED designed as a pleasure path. It is still presently overgrown.
and a host of other crops.
mostly open. Its meandering route
contributing to the division of the D6 Fuchsia Hedge. Formed the PLOTS ‘contrasts strongly with the formality 13 DOUBLE HERBACEOUS BORDER.
garden. The classic walled garden backing for the herbaceous border The sales particulars of 1902
design of division into 4 quarters by [Sales Particulars mentioned the existence of standard These are shown on the 1898 map as 2 of the other paths in both the flower This long and wide double border
and kitchen garden.
adjacent open spaces with a wooded
arranged on either side of the broad
intersecting paths is not present but is 1902]. This was succeeded by an fruit trees and bush fruit and some of area. At present the area is densely walk/drive must have been o. of the
roughly represented by the east west the plots may have been used for • 6 FUCHSIA HEDGE
drive and a central north south path espalier line of Bramley apples one of these. overgrown and no trace of them was This hedge is shown on the 1898 map glories of the garden in the summer.
The feature, which is visible on
found. It is not known how the space
which remains [information , John
both with flanking borders. The paths, Joyce] BORDERS was used but as there are rock and is still extent and is of fuschia. entering the walled garden from the
with one exception, are laid-out in
straight lines with others set at D7 Escallonia Hedge. This has been The garden also contained a number outcrops in the area, the enclosures 7 LARGE IRREGULARLY SHAPED PLOT main gate, extended the ornamental
vista from the flower garden and
shown on the 1898 map, may be
right-angles to them. The exception is removed in recent years [information, of narrow strips or borders which can delineated an area which it was not The original use of this area is not served to screen the main vegetable
the one that curves up hill on the Sister Benedict] some survive at east be distinguished in shape size and
north east along the edge of the end. probable use from the rectangular possible to cultivate. known. It’s shape and that of its plots. Each border was approximately
neighbour on the East [2:8] are in
85m long [c. 280 ft.] and 2 metres [c. 7
stream to the wooden area on the D8 Nature not known plots. These include; 3 STONE HOLDING TANK AND contrast with the regular shaped plot ft.] wide. The 1902 Sales Particulars
north [2:5]. The main feature of the POSSIBLE PROSPECT POINT
path system is the central broad walk D9 + 10 Original nature not known. The Wall Borders W.B. (E.F.) and W.B. Within this densely overgrown area is laid-out elsewhere in the kitchen state that they were backed by Fuschia
and Escollonia hedges respectively.
(N.F.)
garden. It is now densely overgrown. It
or drive [see 2 : 14] which divides the Recently occupied by lines of a large, rendered stone-built tank occupies sloping ground. There are some remnant Escallonia at
garden into two parts and also gooseberry bushes planted The borders around the south and which probably functioned as a small the back of the south border [see
separates the sloping part of the in the 1950’s. [Information, John Joyce] west walls apart from providing reservoir or holding pond to supply 8 LARGE IRREGULARLY SHAPED PLOT divisions D7] which would seem to
garden from the flat part. Another cultivation beds for the fruit trees USED AS A FRAME YARD.
dominant feature is the perimeter CULTIVATION PLOTS P1 - P13 trained on the walls, were also used the kitchen garden with water. It is 9 DYNAMO HOUSE indicate that the north border was the
situated near the highest point in the
one backed by Fuschia although none
path around the south, west and north As show in the 1898 map the kitchen for crop production. Traditionally the garden and in an area of rock now remain. The north border slopes
walls, defining and giving access to the cool shade of the border along the This small brick house is not precisely
wall border and wall fruit. It starts ion garden contained 13 well defined plots south wall facing north [WB (FN)] was outcrops. There are 2 taps on the dated but it was probably built in the down to the south while the south
most of which would have been
border is on flat terrain. Both are now
south side of the tank. It is presently
the north west part of the flower intensely cultivated with vegetables on used for striking cuttings, and for dry. Because of the existing vegetation 193 Os to house a dynamo which under rough grass. The 1905 Gardeners
garden and continues unbroken extending the cropping season for supplied electricity to light the garden
through the kitchen garden. The paths, a rotation basis. Today most of the strawberrys and other produce for the view from here is not presently , house. It was powered by water from Chronicle article mentions it thus `-- A
plots have been obliterated and the
long herbaceous border in the kitchen
visible but given its location its
it can be assumed, were surfaced with ground is under grass. Some small instance. The west border, facing east probably commanded a fine view over the mountain stream. garden containing an up to date
the local glacial gravel as revealed by [W}3 (FE)] was often used for growing
those excavated in the flower garden. scale cultivation is still carried on in seedling brassicas which were later the garden and beyond. There is some 10 SYCAMORE HEDGE collection of this deservedly popular
evidence in the form of ornamental
the area occupied by plots P8 and P12,
class of flower.’
From map inspection the paths would the latter being recently under transplanted to the larger plots. planting represented by a holm oak A hedge composed solely of a dense
appear to be about 6 foot wide on thicket of sycamore stems is an 14 BROAD GRAVELLED WALK OR DRIVE
average but this needs checking when potatoes. DOUBLE BORDERS DB1 AND DB2 and a yew around the tank that the unusual feature. Although no-one The central road which divides the
area was treated as a prospect point
they are exposed. The middle of the garden was There are 3 pairs of matching double perhaps with a seat to take the view. remembers a time when this one was garden into two parts is described in
occupied by 7 large plots while 6 small borders, DB I, DB2 and the double not present it is doubtful that it is an
DIVISIONS DI-10 ones were located to north and north herbaceous border flanking the drive The tank is partially disguised by original feature. The 1902 Sales the 1902 Sales Particulars
Most of the divisions between the west. Most of the produce would have [see 2 : 13]. It is not known how DB1 rockwork and may have been the end Particulars mention ‘Alder and ‘a broad gravelled walk or drive’. In
point of the meandering walk along
cultivation plots shown as solid lines been grown in the 7 large central beds. and DB2 were used. They may also Sycamore screening hedges’ in the origin it predates the walled garden
on the 1898 map were composed of The range of vegetables grown on the have been under herbaceous plants the stream from the flower garden. outer Kitchen Garden but none are and is shown on the 1838 OS map as
hedges and Fuchsia and Escallonia. Victorian Kitchen Garden was wide and and contributed to the ornamentation 4 WOODEN AREA, POSSIBLE NUTTERY mentioned here. It has been regularly part of a public road. The portion
[Sales Particulars 1902]. The location of the number of different varieties of of the Kitchen Garden by screening the AND ORCHARD trimmed and this hasprobably running through the kitchen garden
some of these have been traced each individual vegetable was much crops. This area is shown as under trees in produced a semi-coppice type growth. remains iinsltered while that in the
although almost all of the divisions higher than the number in cultivation SINGLE BORDERS B1 1898. Today is densely overgrown but flower garden has been more to the
have gone. These hedges helped to to-day. There would have been a north and straightened. After laying
provide additional shelter from the strong emphasis in the large beds on his would appear to be the only among the existing tree cover is a 11 THE WEST GATE out the grounds in the 1860’s the road
walnut and some hazel. This may
strong prevailing westerly winds. It is the growing of brassicas which were instance of a single border, it is shown suggest that the area may have been The garden is entered on the west was retained as a driveway through
probable that some of the divisions the mainstay of the productive garden as enclosed on the both ides and its the grounds leading from an entrance
consisted of post and wire fences with and were harvested during most of the function is difficult to interpret. used, partially at least, as a Nuttery. through a stepped pedimented on the west, near the hamlet of
archway which duplicates that over the
The 1902 Sales Particulars mention the
Espalier apples, pears and other fruit year. It is not hard to imagine 1 THE POCKET existence of standard trees of apple, main gate. It was known as ‘the West Currywongawn, through the walled
trained on them. regimented rows of cabbage, sprouts, garden to the castle. In the kitchen
kale, cauliflower, broccoli etc. Filling The north west corner of the garden pear, damson and plum, in addition to Gate’ by the gardening staff. It has a garden section it was lined on both
D1 Nature not known the wall fruit trees. Some of these may simple iron gate which is probably
these beds. These would have been has a sub-rectangular projection have been planted here. original. It sides by an herbaceous border which
D2 Nature not known rotated with root crops such as which has been nicknamed the `The screened the vegetables. An
carrots, turnips, swedes, parsnips and Pocket’ by previous’ generations of 5 PLEASURE PATH 12 COMPOST AND DUNG PIT excavation trench showed it to be
D3 + 4 Original nature not known.
beetrOot. Crops not needed in bulk or gardeners. It is relatively remote from largely composed of a causeway of