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Summary

Fine C15 to C18 gardens and park at Godolphin. The larger garden lies to the south east of the house and is known as the Side Garden, whilst the smaller King's Garden that includes four bee boles is situated to the west.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 36051: Side and King's Garden at Godolphin House
• Listed Building (II) 65749: KING'S GARDEN WALLS, REAR YARD (SOUTH) WALLS AND ATTACHED BUILDINGS
• Listed Building (I) 65748: STABLING AND COBBLED PAVEMENTS ADJOINING GODOLPHIN HOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Cornwall HER Listing No.: PG4198
• National Monuments Record: SW 63 SW 25
• National Record of the Historic Environment to Historic Environment Records data transfer
• National Record of the Historic Environment: SW 63 SW 25
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 29453.30

Monument Type(s):

• DEER PARK (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• FORMAL GARDEN (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• GARDEN (Medieval to 18th Century - 1066 AD to 1800 AD)
• ORCHARD (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

Fine C18 gardens and park, which by the early C20 had fallen into decay and had become irretrievably lost (b1). The larger garden lies to the south east of the house and is known as the Side Garden, whilst the smaller King's Garden is situated to the west. An extensive deer park existed at Godolphin in the early C19 (6-8).

The late C15 or early C16 Side Garden comprises nine roughly square compartments separated by cross-walks and arranged in a three by three pattern, bounded by rubble-faced walks to the north, east and south.

Archaeological evidence indicates that the three western compartments which remain gardened appear to survive from the layout of the early C14 precinct associated with the house. The six eastern compartments are now divided from the present garden by a mid C19 rubble stone wall but the late C15 and C16 layout survives as banks and archaeological features in this area, now known as the Garden Paddock. Elsewhere, the surviving gardens retain elements of the late C15 and C16 layout including the perimeter walks around the north western compartment.

The King's Garden is an enclosed privy garden at the south west corner of the west wing of the house and is named for its proximity to the state appartment. Created after the relocation of the principal approach to the north in the early C16, the King's Garden now comprises a small cobbled yard to, and level with, a door at the southern end of the east wall, with a higher gravel perimeter walk approached by steps to the north and south west, and a lawn divided by a central north to south box-edged path. The north garden wall was adapted c.1600 to form the south wall of the stable. The eastern third was rebuilt in the late C19 and is devoid of features. The rest pre-dates the stable block and contains four bee boles, one of which has been restored. The central lawn appears to have been infilled and raised, probably c1800 when the enclosure was used as a kitchen garden with a gateway formed in the south wall, connecting it with the farmyard.

Both the Cornwall Archaeological Unit and the Debois Landscape Group consider the gardens to be an important example of late Elizabethan garden design containing fish ponds, raised walks and enclosed garden compartments. The garden also possessed orchards, a deer park and a warren. Although the details of the garden are not now present and the ponds are empty, nevertheless the basic structure is still extant and work is underway to revive the planting (5).

The monument was included in the Schedule on 23/3/2009.

<1> Pett, DE, 1998, The Parks and Gardens of Cornwall, 64 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4125.

<2> Schofield, J, 2007, Godolphin Made and Remade (Unpublished document). SCO24057.

<3> Herring, P & Harandon, M, 2007, Godolphin, Breage - Tree survey (Report). SCO20781.

<4> CORNWALL GARDENS TRUST, 1993, Cornwall Gardens Trust Survey of Gardens: Godolphin (Unpublished document). SCO26040.

<5> CORNWALL GARDENS TRUST, 1998, Historic Garden Register Review programme for Cornwall (Report). SCO28473.

<6> Whitely, HM, 1886, Untitled Source, 470 (Article in Journal). SCO6456.

<7> Gilbert, CS, 1820, An Historical and Topographical Survey of the County of Cornwall (Bibliographic reference). SCO3360.

<8> Shirley, EP, 1867, Some Account of English Deer Parks, 88 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4428.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO2835 - Godolphin Tree survey
• ECO3342 - Godolphin House, drains and floors
• ECO4261 - Cornwall Gardens Trust Survey of Gardens: Godolphin (Ref: X897/20/1-5)
• ECO3092 - Godolphin Breage Cornwall (Ref: K/757)
• ECO2639 - Godolphin
• ECO1986 - Godolphin Estate
• ECO5069 - Historic Garden Register Review programme for Cornwall (Ref: EH/Cornwall - 21)
• ECO6692 - Godolphin Relic Orchard

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