Melbourne

Bit of a lazy Five this Friday. If you read my other blog you'll know I did a post about a beautiful wrought iron arbour in the garden of Melbourne Hall in Derbyshire. It, and several other garden structures, are listed Grade I because of their historic importance. (Read the History Anorak post if you want to know why they're important.)

So anyway, I thought you might like a look at some of the other garden ornaments at Melbourne and that's this week's post. But I can't be bothered re-writing the information on them, so I've just cut and pasted the official listing from Historic England.


Perseus

Pedestal with Statue of Perseus in Melbourne Hall Gardens. Pedestal with statue of Perseus, c.1700 by Jan van Nost. Erected as part of a French-style garden, designed by Royal Gardeners to Queen Anne, London and Wise, for Thomas Coke of Melbourne Hall. Stone and lead. Panelled stone pedestal on wide square plinth with life-size figure of Perseus holding Medusa's head, clad in Roman style armour with winged sandals and helmet.

Covered seat

Covered Seat to East of Fountain Pond in Melbourne Hall Gardens (formerly listed with the matching seat as 'Two Alcoves in grounds of Melbourne Hall') Covered garden seat  c.1704 with later repairs. Work carried out by William Cooke of Walcot. Stuccoed brick and timber. Curved timber bench on turned legs fitted into an apsidal structure with stuccoed segmental brick wall covered by domed lead roof, with simple panelled timber jambs and segmental cornice with raised keystone. Built as a pair to similar seat to west.

Fighting cherubs

Two Pairs of Cherubs to South-West of the Grand Basin in Melbourne Hall Gardens (formerly listed as 'Pair of pedestals with figures of fighting cupids on south side of garden, Melbourne Hall') Two pairs of cherubs, c.1700 by Jan van Nost. Stone and lead. Each pair of cherubs stands on a panelled stone pedestal with moulded base and cornice. Western pair are kissing and eastern pair are fighting. These form a group with another two pairs of cherubs on the opposite side of the basin and tell the tale of Castor and his brother Pollux fighting over a bunch of flowers and their eventual reconciliation.

Four Seasons Vase

Pedestal and Four Seasons Vase in Melbourne Hall Gardens. Pedestal with vase, 1705, vase by Jan van Nost and pedestal by Devigne. Stone and lead. Panelled pedestal with moulded base and cornice on stepped square plinth, each panel carved with foliage and swags and with central roundels inscribed 'TC'. Magnificent baroque lead vase over supported by four seated lead monkeys, with gadrooned base to bowl and stem of bowl decorated with frieze of putti and foliage swags. Lid with bulbous base has four scrolled handles, each topped by the head of a Season, with panels between and more swags. The top is surmounted by a lattice work basket bursting with fruit and flowers. The vase was presented by Queen Anne to Thomas Coke.

Sets of steps

Five Flights of Steps between terraces at Melbourne Hall Gardens . Five flights of steps c.1704 with later urns. Work carried out by William Cooke of Walcot. Stone. Two flights of steps to either side of terrace and one central flight. Each flight has ten steps with moulded nosings and low retaining walls to either side terminating in low square piers to either end. The piers are now topped by later gadrooned urns. Each top step is wide and has diamond patterned paving.


Now take a trip over to see Amy at Love Made My Home and find out what other Friday Fives have been submitted this week.

Small world

As I said in my last post I decided at the start of this year to study garden history. Thing is, I've encountered a name that I didn't expect to. One of my colleagues once told me that his ancestor was quite a well known architect (though I'd never heard of him). It turns out that he's more recognised for the gardens he designed alongside his houses. I've found his name in several places now, and he's responsible for a few gardens I've actually visited in the past. Ho hum. 

Who knew?

My new year's resolution was to start studying garden history. January isn't the best time to make that kind of decision, unless you live in Australia, of course. But I don't.
Recently I found myself wandering in the grounds above the Spa in Scarborough. To be fair, I get to Scarborough quite a lot, but I rarely visit the Spa end. I took the opportunity to take a stroll through the Italian Gardens, which are part of the South Cliff Gardens area. To get there I passed through what's known as the 'historic Victorian rose garden'.
For someone at the very start of studying garden history it was an informative day. For example, I had chance to get a good look at the layout of the rose garden beds without the hindrance of all those bright flowers to obstruct the view. (And I've got a good excuse to go back in the summer and see it in full bloom.)
Turns out that the winding paths leading down the cliff side, that we followed from the Esplanade to the foreshore, were laid out by Sir Joseph Paxton in the 1850s to rectify a landslip that swamped the back of the Spa buildings. Who knew?
Well, I do now, and I'll have a deal more studying to undertake as a result.