Site record MDR5630 - Gardens and Park, Elvaston Castle
Type and Period (4)
- PARK (Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1540 AD to 2050 AD)
- FORMAL GARDEN (Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1540 AD to 2050 AD)
- RIDGE AND FURROW (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
- HOUSE PLATFORM (Unknown date)
Protected Status/Designation
- Registered Park or Garden (II*)
- Registered Park or Garden (II*) 1368: Elvaston Castle
Full Description
Formal gardens, pleasure grounds 1830-51 by William Barron for the Earl of Harrington. Now a country park. Site of medieval manor house, with a 14th century reference to gardens. Early 19th century reference to gardens in the antique style. Major remodelling 1830-51 by Barron survives only in part. Italian garden - elaborate topiary. Alhambra garden, grottoes beyond lake. Box pasture replaces Bower garden. Thuja tunnel collapsed 1970. Pinetrees, shrubberies, Moorish pavillion 1830-50. Golden gates 19th century. Remains of lime avenues to London lodges 800m long. To east, open lawns, formerly laid out with hedges, vista to Elvaston Avenue at least 900m long traceable for a further 400m. (1, 2)
Included in Register of Parks and Gardens. (3)
Field survey has identified a number of surface features within the grounds that are likely to be of medieval and post-medieval date. These include extensive areas of ridge and furrow, building platforms and routeways. While some ridge and furrow is probably medieval, some is different in form and appears to have obliterated any trace of buildings shown on a map of 1889. (4)
Areas of earthwork ridge and furrow were identified during a walkover survey in 1994. (5)
Golden gates erected at the south end of the formal gardens in 1819 brought from the Palace of Versailles by Charles Stanhope, Third Earl of Harrington. It is thought that these gates may have originated at the royal palace in Madrid. The formal gardens had been fully restored along with the castle itself. (6)
Sources/Archives (8)
- --- SDR22685 Bibliographic reference: Derbyshire County Council. Elvaston Castle Country Park, Near Derby.
- --- SDR977 Bibliographic reference: Anthony, J. 1979. The Gardens of Britain 6: The East Midlands.
- <1> SDR190 Bibliographic reference: Pevsner, N. 1953. The Buildings of England: Derbyshire, 1st edition. p133.
- <2> SDR4191 Article in serial: Country Life. 1899. Country Life, January 14th and 21st, 1899. 14/1/1899, p.48 & 21/1/1899 p80.
- <3> SDR17313 Bibliographic reference: English Heritage. Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. Part 10: Derbyshire.
- <4> SDR19003 Unpublished document: Walker, J. 1992. Elvaston Castle, Derbyshire. Initial Archaeological Survey for Derbyshire County Council & Eng. Heritage.
- <5> SDR19031 Unpublished document: Challis, K. 1999. A6 Alvaston Bypass, Archaeological Assessment. Draft.
- <6> SDR22685 Bibliographic reference: Derbyshire County Council. Elvaston Castle Country Park, Near Derby.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 40625 32624 (2248m by 1957m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | ELVASTON, SOUTH DERBYSHIRE, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (3)
- EDR1724
- EDR3866
- EDR1680
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Nov 15 2023 1:55PM