A reconstructed vicarage garden in South Cornwall
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When Burncoose Nurseries were first invited to put forward a restoration plan for this old vicarage garden with sea views it was in a state of total dilapidation. Sycamore, laurel and dead elms covered most of the formal garden and much of the original terracing around the house was buried in brambles and undergrowth. Very few shrubs or plants had survived the ravages of neglect.
The new owners of the vicarage showed Burncoose a pre World War I photograph of the garden with formal rockeries, terracing and carefully maintained pathways to the adjacent churchyard. Until 30 or 40 years ago the garden had been a setting for local concerts and the new owners of the vicarage wanted to create a small amphitheatre for these to resume. However, since the vicarage itself was undergoing a complete reconstruction over a 12 month period, the heavy landscaping work had to be conducted in stages after new drainage and septic tanks were installed. It was not work to be undertaken in wet weather.
Burncoose’s work programme involved removing much of the encroaching vegetation and tree cover, rebuilding retaining walls, banks and terracing and re-levelling different sections of the gardens for ease of subsequent maintenance. Formal lawns have been created from the jungle but the more exciting part of the restoration project will now be to help the new owners replant other parts of their garden in keeping with its history and location.
This has been an exciting project for the Burncoose landscape team and we are very grateful to the owners for allowing us to help them achieve their objectives for the restored garden.
