Wiltshire and Swindon Sites and Monument Record Information

SMR Number

ST87SE527

Site Name

Corsham Court Gardens and Park (Registered)

Grid Ref

ST878708

Parish

Corsham

Photographs

Images for Corsham (if available)

District

North Wiltshire

Site Type

Historic parkland

Period

Post Medieval

X Y Grid Ref

387800, 170800

Altitude

106.68 metres

Geology

Great Oolite

Description

Post-Medieval parkland and gardens to rear of the house.

Details

Eighteenth century parkland, with woodland and a lake, and 19th century gardens to the rear of the house. The park is surrounded to the north, west and south by a wall dating from the 18th century and early 19th century. A 17th century arch gives access to a forecourt to the south of Corsham court, which is enclosed by a rubble stone wall, possibly also of the 17th century, and has a formal layout with a central path flanked on either side by a lawn with planted borders along the walls. A mature Cedar of Lebanon stands in the south-east corner of the eastern lawn, and a large gingko tree stands in the centre of the opposite lawn. The pleasure grounds are situated to the north, east and south west of the house and are separated from the park to the north and east by a ha-ha, introduced by Lancelot Brown in the mid 18th century. A small gate gives access to a path that leads around the rear of the buildings into the garden. To the east of the house, the garden is laid to lawn, with a large copper beech in its NE corner. The garden to the north is also laid to lawn and is flanked on either side by shrubbery's which are crossed by a network of small paths and have a mixture of trees and shrubs planted mainly in the mid to late 19th century. There is a formal garden to the north of the house with a central fountain (19th century). It is flanked to the west and north by the walls of the kitchen garden. In the north corner of this garden stands the stone Bath House in Gothick style, designed by Brown. To the rear of this stand the Bradford Porch, a 20th century summerhouse. An arboretum was established 1983 by Simon Pryce. It contains a large variety of exotic trees and shrubs and is laid out around a conduit-house. A formally laid out triangular garden to the south-west of the house, is dominated by large mature clipped yew hedges. To the south is the Sham Ruin, a late 18th century folly, comprising a serpentine rubble-stone wall with applied ashlar features including a stack, carved coat of arms with the date 1874, a bellcote and pointed arches. The park stretches out to the north, north-west, east and south-east of Corsham Court. A circular walk runs from Mynte Wood in a southerly direction into the eastern part of the park, and forms part of Repton's perimeter ride, established c1800. The southern part of the park is dominated by South Avenue and Corsham Lake. It is flanked to the west by a plantation which has a wall to its west which separates it from the rear gardens of the house. Attached to this wall is an early 18th century gazebo with an ogee stone-tiles roof. Corsham Lake was created by Humphrey Repton in the late 18th century and is screened to the east by Lake Cover. At its far south-east corner stands Lake House with an attached boathouse. The northern park is crossed by a double avenue, called the North Avenue. The park to the east of North Avenue has various clumps of mature trees. The walled kitchen garden probably dates from the early 18th century and is situated c20m to the north-west of the house. The rectangular garden is divided by an internal wall into two areas. It is laid out with a perimeter walk and contains glasshouses and potting sheds of various dates.

Registered Garden

Yes

Sources

English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic interest in England Part 46 English Heritage

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