{"id":22781,"date":"2023-05-26T08:00:25","date_gmt":"2023-05-26T06:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gardensillustrated.com\/?p=107640"},"modified":"2023-05-26T09:35:41","modified_gmt":"2023-05-26T07:35:41","slug":"the-organically-certified-gardens-of-dowdeswell-court","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/rss_feed\/the-organically-certified-gardens-of-dowdeswell-court\/","title":{"rendered":"The organically-certified gardens of Dowdeswell Court"},"content":{"rendered":"

Around the Neoclassical home of Jade and Julian Dunkerton, Urquhart & Hunt has designed a garden that works in harmony with a variety of wildlife. <\/p>

By Annie Gatti\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 26 May 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Just 15 minutes drive from the fashionable Georgian spa town of Cheltenham<\/a> is the restored Grade II-listed house and gardens of Dowdeswell Court, the family home of Julian Dunkerton, co-founder of clothing brand Superdry, and Jade Holland Cooper, founder of British heritage brand Holland Cooper<\/a>. Hidden from view below the entrance gates, the elegant Bath stone house, built in the Neoclassical style in the 1830s, is cut into the side of a steep hill that drops down to a brook and two lakes. This allows for stunning views across to pastures and woodlands<\/a> on the other side of the valley.<\/p>\n

\""Dowdeswell\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
\u00a9 Clive Nichols<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n

When Julian invited design duo Lulu Urquhart and Adam Hunt<\/a> to create new gardens for the 80-acre parkland, all that remained of the original plantings were a collection of specimen trees, including lime, beech<\/a>, holm oak, chestnut, yew<\/a> and Western red cedar, the remnants of an Italian pleasure garden and rolling expanses of grass<\/a>. \u201cWe have a fierce passion for sustainability and wanted to preserve and nurture not only the historic plants but also the wildlife,\u201d says Julian. \u201cKey throughout is the organic certification.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn how to invite wildlife into your garden<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\""Dowdeswell\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The historic balustrade, overhung with Wisteria sinensis f. alba in the entrance forecourt.<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Cliver Nichols<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

An ecological survey revealed that the grounds were home to five species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species \u2013 three species of bat, great crested newts and, in the lakes, white-clawed crayfish \u2013 so the masterplan needed to make provisions for all of these, as well as addressing the remaining historical elements, which included a balustrade around the entrance forecourt and an ornamental pool<\/a>. \u201cWe wanted to create something visually pleasing, definitely not formal, but relaxed and contemporary to match our vision for the house,\u201d says Julian.<\/p>\n

\""Dowdeswell\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Delphinium<\/em> \u2018Blue Tit\u2019, paired with Lilium<\/em> \u2018Pink Morning\u2019 and Geranium<\/em> \u2018Orion\u2019, create a midsummer hit in the rear terrace, at the back of the house.<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Cliver Nichols<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The designers realised they needed to enlarge the narrow terraces that abutted the house. \u201cIt was important to make the proportion of the house meaningful to the garden,\u201d says Lulu, \u201cand to deliver really spacious garden areas that had an elegance to complement the beautiful house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\""Dowdeswell\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
A selection of marginals provide hiding places for amphibians.<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Cliver Nichols<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Seven years later, the forecourt is transformed into a celebration of naturalistic planting<\/a>, dancing above a matrix of rosemary and lavender<\/a>, and connected to the landscape beyond by a line of multi-stem Osmanthus<\/em> x burkwoodii<\/em>. \u201cWe felt the forecourt needed some constant evergreen<\/a> forms,\u201d says Adam, \u201cand we like the looseness of Osmanthus<\/em> and their scented flowers. They nod towards topiary<\/a> but are not that formal.\u201d A gap in the stone balustrade here opens up a breathtaking view down to one of the two lakes.<\/p>\n

\""Dowdeswell\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Two small ponds were excavated to accommodate Dowdeswell\u2019s resident newts.<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Clive Nichols<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Inspired by the Arts and Crafts<\/a> movement\u2019s use of natural materials, Lulu and Adam chose Cotswold stone for the retaining dry-stone walls throughout the garden and for the generous terraces on the south and west sides of the house, which offer different views across the valley. Below the forecourt is a south-facing Orangery, which adjoins a 10m-wide oak pergola<\/a>, covered in wisteria<\/a> and framed with two Magnolia grandiflora<\/em>, creating a Mediterranean-style space for entertainment. At the back of the house, another terrace provides an alfresco dining area, which overlooks a circular lawn surrounded by beds that billow with traditional summer flowers<\/a>, such as delphiniums, lilies and nepetas. The large lily pond<\/a> at the centre was created to replace a smaller original pool.<\/p>\n

\""Dowdeswell\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The rear terrace leads on to a circular lawn with central lily pool.<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Cliver Nichols<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

New sets of steps, hand cut from Forest of Dean stone, are an elegant solution to navigating the garden\u2019s steep slopes, and form a network of links between the various spaces close to the house. Further down the slope, more rugged steps made from oak sleepers create a route past two ponds<\/a> created for newts, and planted with a range of lush marginal species where these amphibians can hide.<\/p>\n

\""Steps\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
\u00a9 Clive Nichols<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n

The diversity of the garden\u2019s spaces, and of their planting, is a particular delight to owner Jade. She has added an avenue of lime trees \u2013 gifts from guests at her wedding to Julian in 2018 \u2013 which leads to the entrance forecourt. The Orangery terrace and the swimming pool garden, surrounded by olive trees in pots and beds of cistus, santolina and myrtles, both create a Mediterranean feel that she loves. \u201cWhen it is sunny it transports you out of the Cotswolds to the Med,\u201d she says. Beyond the swimming pool,<\/a> further down the slope, is a new orchard that has been established around a few existing apple trees<\/a> and is underplanted with carpets of spring and early summer organic bulbs. \u201cThis has more of a wilderness feel, as does the woodland area behind the lake and at the top of the property,\u201d explains Jade. \u201cI really like how the flower gardens blend into the wilder landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n

\""The\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The swimming pool.<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Clive Nichols<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Since 2018, Jade\u2019s mother, landscape and garden designer Miranda Holland, has taken on management of the garden, which employs four gardeners. They have developed a series of spring walks, planted with thousands of bulbs and hellebores, which create delightful new routes through the grounds. The next project is to transform a sloping walled kitchen garden into a cutting garden. The handsome oakframed glasshouse<\/a> houses not only organically grown vines, pleached peaches and salads for the table but also a sandpit for the couple\u2019s children. \u201cIt\u2019s important for me to instil in the children a passion for gardening,\u201d says Jade. \u201cTo show them the journey from seed to eating.\u201d<\/p>\n

Useful information<\/strong><\/p>\n

Find out more about Urquhart & Hunt at urquharthunt.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Jade Holland Cooper:\u00a0www.hollandcooper.com<\/a><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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