Page 31 - cn - ah national trust society and nature 25-03-24

Packwood House, Warwickshire.

The painting takes in two main gardens at Packwood, ‘The Carolean’ or ‘South Garden’ and the Yew Garden.
The two borders that frame the composition are known as main borders but have long been known as the Yellow
Borders, this being densely planted with herbaceous -perennials in riotously mixed colours, typical of Packwood’s
planting style– a mingled style with emphasis on flowers over form. The style was described by the eminent garden
writer J. C. Loudon in his 1822 Encyclopaedia of Gardening and has been continued to this day at Packwood.
The middle distance and far distant Yew Garden seen through the wrought iron gates, is visually connected by a
flight of steps that finish on the terrace Walk. The planting is repeated in the same style as in the Main Border.

The Yew Garden was set out by John Featherstone between 1650 and 1670. The garden has an arrangement of Yews
and particularly 12 great Yew trees now known as ‘The Apostles’ with four very large specimens in the middle
known as ‘The Evangelists’. Crowning the mound is a single Yew tree named ‘The Master’. This tree and the twelve
trees on the terrace formed part of John Featherstone’s original plan.

Packwood was purchased on 30th June 1904, by Alfred Ash. The auction was held at The Grand Hotel, Colmore
Row, Birmingham and sold as lot 5, which was described as ‘An old-fashioned country residence’. Country Life
Magazine had carried an article with photographs of ‘Packwood House’ in their issue of January 1902, describing it
as a true old garden of England. It is said that Baron’s father Alfred Ash purchased the property because his son
wanted it. At the time Baron, born in 1889, was 15.
Wealth of the family initially started when Joseph Ash { born 1824} to Thomas Ash, {a chemist and druggist in
Stafford Street Birmingham}, who at the age of 13, after being educated at King Edward School joined the zinc
business his father had established and helped to build the families fortune. Joseph branched out in a partnership
with Mr John Pierce Lacy and established his own company Joseph Ash and sons, under the directorship of his
eldest son Thomas Henry. Then an expansion was made to the Ash-Lacy partnership’ wherein Baron’s father Alfred
James Ash took on its diection.

Summer Borders, View to the Yew Garden,

Packwood House -Lapworth,
Warwickshire.
Oil on canvas 301/8 x 601/8 inches