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Summary

Gardens and Park at Ayscoughfee Hall, Spalding

Full description

PRN 25721
Ayscoughfee Hall (for which see PRN 22360) was built in 1420. A number of restorations and additions were made, particularly in 1793 and 1845. {1}{2}
It was the former home of antiquary Maurice Johnson, founder of the Spalding Gentlemen's Society. It is now a District Council Museum.{3}{4}
The formal and ornamental gardens date to the 18th to 19th century, and cover about three hectares to the east and the south of the Hall. Ayscoughfee Hall was begun in 1429 for Sir Richard Aldwyn, with later additions and alterations in the 16th century, in 1792 and in 1845 probably by William Todd. Gardens to the east and south, are mainly 18th century in origin, laid out in about 1730 by William Sands. The principal feature is the pond, rectangular and lying north-south, with outstanding yew hedges. There is a view to St Mary and St Nicholas's Church to the north. The war memorial is by Lutyens, dating to about 1925 and is to the south. The bowling green is to the east and the lawns to the south. The building has associations with antiquary Maurice Johnson, 1688-1755.{5}{15}
A site survey on the Pleasure Grounds was undertaken in 2000. The survey recognised that the Pleasure Grounds are a nationally important and possibly unique example of an early 18th century enclosed town garden.{6}
A programme of geophysical survey including ground penetrating radar was carried out in sections of the garden. Possible structural debris was identified along with a linear feature which may relate to a culvert. {7}
A formal garden was laid out in about 1730 for Maurice Johnson II, possibly by William Sands. Johnson was a founder member and the secretary, later president, of the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society and their minute books give an idea of the types of plants grown in the garden. He was keen to acquire unusual or exotic plants and there may have been a hothouse in the garden in order to grow these. He was also interested in medicinal plants. The garden layout included yew trees, a tree avenue (possibly of elms) and lead statues. Many of these features, including the avenue and statues as well as buildings such as the garden house and the hothouse if it existed, are now gone. {8}
A historic park is recorded on the first edition and 1905 Ordnance Survey maps at Ayscoughfee Hall, Spalding. {9}{10}
Excavations in the gardens of Ayscoughfee Hall, carried out during the period January to May 2008, revealed deposits and features associated with use of the house and grounds. Trenches to the rear (east side) of the building, uncovered the foundations of a brick structure, which appears to correspond with an annexe or outbuilding shown on Grundy's 1732 map of Spalding. A furnace at its north-western corner may indicate that the building functioned as a hothouse or stove. It was post-dated by the extant Garden Room at the south-east corner of the house, and by a section of the adjacent garden wall, which probably represents an infill made necessary by the demolition of the original structure. Two wells (one of probable medieval date) were located on the eastern side of the house. On the south lawn, a brick culvert leading south from the house was connected to another culvert aligned east to west, with the latter possibly functioning (but no longer active) as a conduit between the canal and river. The trenches on the south lawn also revealed fragmentary evidence of former garden paths and/or surfaces. Investigations along the west wall exposed earlier phases of construction, including limestone footings, while a brick-lined pit at the north-west corner of the south garden may be interpreted as a post medieval cess pit. The feature had been contained with a small brick outbuilding, demolished at some time in the 20th century. The results of a dendochronological survey of mature yews (formerly hedging?) in the south garden were largely consistent with an early eighteenth century date for laying out of the garden. {11}{12}
The gardens were laid out by Maurice Johnson around 1730, in a style which was currently fashionable, and they are depicted on a map of 1732. Little was done to alter or maintain the gardens after Johnson's death in 1755. In 1902 they were given, with the house, to Spalding Urban District Council and became a public park. Following this, various amenities were added during the 20th century including the war memorial (PRN 25149), a bowling green, tennis courts, café, children's play area, aviary, fountain and formal Peace Gardens. Various earlier features including early 18th century lead statues and a Victorian Gothic folly, the Owl Tower, were also removed. The garden does however retain a layout arrangement that is very similar to that shown on the 1732 map, and some original features including yew trees (possibly the remains of an overgrown hedge), the ornamental canal (although this has been altered in the 20th century) and an oak tree. {14}

<1> OS CARD INDEX, TF 22 SW:9 (Index). SLI2744.

<2> GOOCH, E.H., 1940, HISTORY OF SPALDING, VOL 250 p312 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI882.

<3> SMR FILE, TF 22 SW: W (Index). SLI3284.

<4> Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris, with Nicholas Antram, 1989, Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Second Edition), p675-6 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1062.

<5> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 1987, REGISTER OF PARKS AND GARDENS OF SPECIAL HISTORIC INTEREST IN ENGLAND, GD1967 (Index). SLI2865.

<6> Anderson and Glenn, July 2000, Ayscoughfee Hall: A Historical Appraisal of The Pleasure Grounds, - (Report). SLI6227.

<7> Stratascan, 2008, Geophysical Survey Report: Ayscoughfee Hall Garden, Spalding, - (Report). SLI12132.

<8> NAU Archaeology, 2008, An Archaeological Desk-Based Survey of Ayscoughfee Hall Gardens, Spalding, - (Report). SLI12133.

<9> Ordnance Survey, 1883-1888, 6 Inch County Series Map - First Edition, TF22 (Map). SLI9454.

<10> Ordnance Survey, 1905, OS County Series six inch map 1905, TF22 (Map). SLI3652.

<11> NAU Archaeology, 2009, An Archaeological Excavation at Ayscoughfee Hall Gardens, Spalding, Lincolnshire, SAHG08 (Report). SLI12676.

<12> NAU Archaeology, 2009, An Archaeological Excavation at Ayscoughfee Hall Gardens, Spalding, Lincolnshire, - (Archive). SLI12677.

<13> South Holland District Council, 2007, Spalding Conservation Area Appraisal, Riverside Character Area (Report). SLI12350.

<14> NAU Archaeology, 2009, Ayscoughfee Hall Gardens, Spalding: Conservation Plan, - (Report). SLI13039.

<15> Historic England (formerly English Heritage), 2011->, The National Heritage List for England, 1000969 (Website). SLI13386.

Monument Types

• GARDEN (Medieval to Modern - 1450 AD? to 2050 AD)
• FORMAL GARDEN (Post Medieval to Edwardian - 1730 AD to 1902 AD)
• HOTHOUSE? (Post Medieval - 1730 AD to 1830 AD?)
• ORNAMENTAL CANAL (Post Medieval to Modern - 1730 AD to 2050 AD)
• PATH (Post Medieval - 1730 AD to 1830 AD?)
• TREE BELT (Post Medieval to Modern - 1730 AD to 2050 AD)
• WALL (Post Medieval - 1730 AD to 1830 AD?)
• PUBLIC PARK (Edwardian to 21st Century - 1902 AD to 2050 AD)

Associated Events

• Survey of the gardens at Ayscoughfee Hall
• Magnetometry survey at Ayscoughfee Hall gardens
• Resistivity survey at Ayscoughfee Hall gardens
• Ground penetrating radar survey at Ayscoughfee Hall gardens
• Excavations in the gardens of Ayscoughfee Hall, Spalding
• Tree ring analysis of living trees at Ayscoughfee Hall, Spalding
• Window sampling of a brick-lined well at Ayscoughfee Hall, Spalding
• Site Visit to Spalding Conservation Area (Including Proposed Extensions)

Protected Status

• Conservation Area
• Registered Park or Garden

Sources and further reading

Related records

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