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CA THAL CRIMMINS AR CHITECT 8 Conservation Appraisal of Walled Garden and Historic landscape of Kylemore Abbey www. architect.crimmins.ie

Method Statement List of Key Sources:
Secondary Sources
Finola O’Kane and Neil Crimmins visited Kylemore Abbey on 23 October, 2020 when the Reports
weather was fine. We made a full photographic survey of the walled gardens internally
and externally. We met with Head Gardener Anja Gohlke and Liz Mc Connell to discuss * Belinda Jupp & Thomas Mc Erlean, ‘Kylemore Abbey; Walled Garden Restoration Campbell, Susan, A History of Kitchen Gardens, London (Random), 1996
Project’, unpublished report, 1995: Title page: ‘Report on the Preliminary Archaeological
the history, conservation, restoration, planting, management and future of the walled Survey of the Walled Garden at Kylemore’: Raftery, Deirdre & Kilbride, Catherine, The Benedictine Nuns & Kylemore Abbey; A
gardens. History, Newbridge, Co. Kildare (IAP), 2020
Contents
Villiers- Tuthill, Kathleen, History of Kylemore Castle & Abbey, Kylemore, Conemara
Section 1: The Walled Garden at Kylemore (Kylemore Abbey Publications), 2002
This report has been principally informed by the site survey, the sources listed below
and judicious further research, principally into the historic photographs, the wider Section 2: Survey of the Flower Garden
estate structure and the walled gardens’ role within it, the Cranston patented Section 3: Survey of the Kitchen Garden Outstanding Key Sources
glasshouses system and Irish convent gardens. Some of the reports had to be
compiled from partial pdfs of the original report’s sections. Other sources were Appendix 1: Journal Articles (not provided and sourced again- listed below) Plan indicating the trial excavation channels dug by Malachy J. Conway for his report.
acquired afresh from outside repositories. The most significant source is Belinda Jupp Appendix 2: Report on the Trial Excavations by Malachy Conway (plan not Belinda Jupp’s ‘Plant Report’ and ‘Re-Planting Plan’ referred to in her 1996 report.
& Thomas McErlean’s 1995 report ‘Kylemore Abbey; Walled Garden Restoration Project’
subtitled within as ‘Report on the Preliminary Archaeological Survey of the Walled provided) Survey and Reconstruction Drawings of the Glasshouses produced by Buchan, Kane &
Garden at Kylemore’. This is a very through and complete analysis of the design and Foley, Architects.
social history of the walled gardens of Kylemore. It drew on a garden excavation
carried out by Malachy J. Conway, which used five test channels to establish the *Belinda Jupp & Thomas McErlean, ‘The Restoration of the Walled Garden at Kylemore, Engineering and Drainage Drawings of the Walled Garden restoration produced by
engineers and/or BKF Architects.
Phase 2’, unpublished report, 1996:
position of particular walks. Unfortunately the plan that indicated the location of these
five channels (three of which were in the glasshouse complex, one at the level of the Contents
upper terrace walk in the north flower garden and one across the carriage drive of the 1. Introduction
kitchen garden) is not in the pdf.
2. Proposed Schedule
3. Oganization
It was followed by Jupp and McErlean’s 1996 ‘The Restoration of the Walled Garden at
Kylemore, Phase 2’ report. This report states in its Introduction that it ‘should be read 4. Stage 1- Tree Felling, Clearance of Glasshouses and Flower Garden
in conjunction with the Preliminary Archaeological Survey’ and the ‘Plant Report’. We 5. Equipment and Specialized Services
have not been able to source the ‘Plant Report’. Efforts have been made to contact
Belinda Jupp, Thomas McErlean and Finola Reid of the Great Gardens of Ireland 6 Summary of Immediate Action
Scheme but have been hitherto unsuccessful.
* Belinda Jupp, ‘Foto report explanation’, Fax to Ann Golden 3.8.99
The Jupp & McErlean 1996 report states that the 2000 restoration aimed to ‘restore the * Cathal Crimmins Architect, ‘Land Use and Conservation Analysis on Kylemore Abbey
greater part of the garden to its appearance c.1870-1890 when it was fully established
and in its hey-day, as a splendid example of a Victorian walled garden.’ This report also and Demesne on behalf of Kylemore Abbey’,
proposed a ‘Re-Planting Plan with details of the plants suitable for the site and known
to have been grown at the end of the nineteenth century in this garden and elsewhere’.
We have not been able to source a copy of this ‘Re-Planting Plan’. Photographs
The principal photographic sources are held by the NLI. These were once bound as
Kylemore Albums 1, 2, 3. Some have been digitised and high-res copies of these have
*We have not repeated the work carried out for the Jupp& McErlean reports only been acquired for this report. The remainder will be assessed once the NLI opens
building and expanding on areas where a contribution was possible and/or necessary. again for research.

*We have assessed the current physical condition of the walled garden areas, noting
areas of concern or areas that may need further research/consideration.
Contemporary Articles in the Building and Gardening Periodicals
*We have researched the Cranston patented glasshouse system in order to determine
their design intention and to examine the various options for the future restoration of The Gardeners’ Chronicle, January 28, 1905, pps. 50-51
the glasshouses. The Irish Builder, 15 May 1872, pps. 138-139: ‘Notes on Early Gardening in Ireland, Fourth
Part- Conclusion’
*We have assessed the landscape areas and features lying outside the walled gardens
but that we consider connected to their success and to the overall good conservation
of Kylemore Abbey and its estate.
Contemporary Printed Sources
* We have not assessed the current condition, authenticity and management of the Cranston’s Patent Buildings for Horticulture; For particulars and plans or cost of
historic planting but we have detailed how this should be carried out ideally in close erection apply to J. Cranston, Architect & Co., No. 1, Temple Row West, Birmingham, An
collaboration with the Head Gardener, Ms. Anja Gohlke and the Planting Plan.
Account with Illustrative Sketches of Cranston’s Patented Buildings as applied to
Horticulture. Date of Patent, August 24th, 1861, No. 2117, Birmingham (T. Underwood
Lithographer & Printer, Castle Street, Birmingham), 1861

Lindley