houghton hall

The beautiful and glorious gardens of the historic Houghton Hall, Norfolk, have won the 2007 Garden of the Year award sponsored by the Historic Houses Association and Christie’s.

This prestigious national award, now in its twenty fourth year, is designed to recognise the importance of gardens with outstanding horticultural and public appeal, either in their own right or as the setting for an historic house.

Commissioned by Sir Robert Walpole and completed in 1734, Houghton Hall became a symbol of Warpole’s advancing political career. Begun in 1720, plans were originally drawn up by architect Colen Campbell, but were revised by both Thomas Ripley and James Gibbs.

William Kent, one of the 18th century’s greatest architectural designers, decorated the interiors on the state floor with sumptuous fabrics and carved and gilded furniture and fittings. After Walpole’s death in 1745, the accumulated debts signalled the beginning of four decades of deterioration at Houghton. This ended when the 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley inherited the estate in 1797, since when the family have been its proud custodians for over 200 years, rescuing the estate from its enormous debts and saving the contents which would otherwise have been dispersed and sold.

“I have always felt that Houghton has a very special, unspoilt atmosphere. Houghton today is the centre of a thriving estate, reflecting the ups and downs of nearly 300 years of history, while still dominated by the ebullient personality, energy and taste of Sir Robert Walpole,” reveals owner Lord Cholmondeley.

The 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley began an extensive programme of renovation of the gardens and in 1991 work began on the five-acre walled garden as a memorial to his grandmother Sybil, Marchioness of Cholmondeley. The intention was to incorporate the gardens into the public opening and this was eventually achieved in 1996.

The garden scheme includes Yew-hedged parterres, formed to create a series of rooms. Following a natural clockwise course through the garden the journey takes the visitor through the Italian Garden and into the central circus, which runs from north to south. There is silent transition from shingle to combed lawn beneath the visitor’s feet and the area bursts with colour.

The south-west quarter of the garden is now dedicated to a fruit and vegetable garden and then to the Cherry Walk . The Laburnum Garden, with its beds of irises leads through to the east and the Mediterranean Garden, the most elaborate design yet.

There are many more treats as the visitor strolls around the rest of this magnificient garden – the wisteria trained around the pergola, the elegant glasshouse and then finally onto the Rose Garden. This area is filled with vibrant colour, planted with over 150 varieties of modern and classic roses.

Outside the walled garden much of Houghton’s 18th century designed landscape has been restored. A number of important contemporary sculptures have been added to the grounds adding a new and exciting dimension tothis historic 18th century landscape.

“Christie’s is delighted to sponsor the Garden of the Year Award in association with the Historic Houses Association and is pleased that this prestigious award has been given to such a well-deserved winner as Houghton Hall,” says Charles Cator, Deputy Chairman of Christies’ International. “The walled garden was newly designed and planted in memory of Lord Cholmondeley’s grandmother, Sybil, Marchioness of Cholmondeley following her death in 1989, and it is an added attraction to one of the most architecturally significant houses in East Anglia, if not the country”.

James Hervey-Bathurst, President of the HHA commented: “I am delighted that Houghton Hall has won the HHA/Christie’s Garden of the Year Award. It is a great tribute to the vision and taste of Lord Cholmondeley and this new garden is a fitting complement to this outstanding historic house.”

Houghton Hall is open from March to September – for opening times and further information log onto www.houghtonhall.com