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Summary

Early 18th century gardens which may incorporate part of a medieval moat

Monument Types

• ORNAMENTAL GARDEN (Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1900 AD)
• PARK (Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1900 AD)
• WATER GARDEN (Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 162466: BALUSTRADED WALLS TO ORNAMENTAL WATER ABOUT 65 METRES SOUTH WEST OF COKENACH HOUSE
• Listed Building (II) 162465: STABLE BLOCK AND STABLE FLAT
• Registered Park or Garden 3: Cokenach
• Listed Building (II*) 162464: COKENACH HOUSE INCLUDING THE WING
• Area of Archaeological Significance
• Listed Building (II) 162467: GARDEN WALLS ABOUT 50 METRES SOUTH OF COKENACH HOUSE

Full description

Remains of early 18th century formal layout, apparently on a medieval moated manorial site [9280]. Covers c.5 1/2 ha., within a larger park and agricultural estate of c.45 ha. The present mansion was built in 1716, and has been successively enlarged. Woodland to east of house, and belts of trees along some boundaries of the original estate. The E-shaped canal scheme may be derived from remains of a medieval moat [9280], exploited to make a formal water layout. There is a lawn to the west of the house, but the main formal aspect is to the south, with 18th century balustraded walls above the N end of one arm of the canal, and steps down to the water. Walks on each side of canal, and paths into wood and shrubbery to SW <1>.
Some of the older features are derelict; 'laid out as classic shooting estate with plantations designed for shoot' <3>. In 1700 only the western arm of the water garden was shown in Chauncy's engraving, as a long ornamental canal of the sort made fashionable by Charles II. The manorial history makes it likely that the canal was built by Edward Chester after 1669; and the other arms appear on an estate plan of 1728. Edward Chester died in 1718, and he may have been responsible for the entire water system <4, 5>. The western arm may have been dug to provide clay to make bricks and improve the drainage prior to the remodelling of the house [15803] <5>.

<1> English Heritage Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, G1111 (Unpublished document). SHT3281.

<2> English Heritage Register of Historic Parks and Gardens (revised), GD1906, 2001 (Unpublished document). SHT3285.

<3> HCC Planning Dept, 1979-82, Historic parklands and gardens in Hertfordshire; record sheets & supplementary material (Unpublished document). SHT8294.

<4> Fletcher, Alan, 1994, The water garden at Cokenach, near Barkway; Herts Gardens Trust Newsletter 7 (autumn 1994), 3 (Article in serial). SHT6198.

<5> Fletcher, Alan, 1994, Hertfordshire Gardens Trust: Cokenach, Barkway, Herts (Unpublished document). SHT5712.

Sources and further reading

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