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BALI Award Winning garden, Decking, British Association of Landscape Industries, Clifford Chambers, Stratford upon Avon, Box ball, Box spheres
   
Commercial Gardens Case Studies
 
 
 

Bradfield College, Reading

Day and Boarding College

Designer: Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall

Construction of pathway network with several sets of steps for movement of students between classrooms and to provide a pleasant setting for relaxing.


 
Central fountain
Brick detailing
 
     
 
Pleached Hornbeam 'room'

Pleached Hornbeams form a 'room' around the central fountain affording areas to sit and contemplate. 


A combination of clay brick paviors and random sized paving break the vast areas up.  Lighting units alongside pathways introduce a safety aspect and create a interesting light effect.


The walls were built using local flint to tie in with the flint work on the main building.

The lawn areas are used for student relaxation.

 
           
     
           
 
Her Majesty The Queen officially opening the fountain on 8th November 1996

Country Artists Fountain, Stratford upon Avon

Sculpture designed by: Christine Lee

Fountain designed by: Roger Abbott

Sponsors: Country Artists

Michael Twite design & landscapes ltd was selected to construct the 800th Anniversary of the granting of the charter Fountain for Stratford Town Council.
The 15ft high fountain shows two stainless steel swans set in a bowl supported by an eight-legged cradle.

The circular paving surrounding the fountain provides a pleasing area for visitors to view the sculpture from every angle.

 
           
     
   
 

Hill Close Logo

Sponsored by: The Heritage Lottery Fund.

The restoration of these historical 'Victorian detached pleasure gardens' officially started in 2001.  Michael Twite design & landscapes Ltd won the £250,000 contract after a strenuous tender competing against other companies (in 2006) for the completion of these works. 
 
Before works began
     
     
Rare brick Summerhouse
     

Out of the hundreds of such sites that had once exsisted across the country, Hill Close is now the only group of detached pleasure garden plots with public access available in the UK.

When local residents heard of plans to build 30 houses on the overgrown land a local committee was set up to fight the development and dilligence finally paid off when English Heritage listed 4 of the summer

houses as Grade II and the gardens themselves were

designated as of historic importance.

Unusual and long forgotten varieties of English fruit trees with names like Peasgood Nonsuch and the Warwickshire Dropper, the rare brick summerhouses and many other artefacts from the past have been salvaged and restored.

Working with Colin Burden and Thomas Stevens of Plincke Landscape Architects the gardens were restored for The Hill Close Gardens Trust, a registered charity set up to restore the gardens and headed by Chris Begg.

 

 
  Creation of brick walls in lime mortar
   
 
 
     
 
Rare brick Summerhouse
A view up the slope showing the plots in much need of rejuvination
     
One of many artefacts found on the site
 
 

                                                At the opening of the Gardens

                                                            From left to right: David Gregory (Quantity surveyor), Mayor

                                                            of Warwick, Michael Twite, Phil Hatton (Contract Manager)

 
     
 
The planting by plot holders takes shape (above and below)   The turf is laid
     
 

Today the plots are communally gardened and lovingly maintained by a mixture of voluntary groups and individuals.

More recent photographs of the now established gardens will be added soon.

 

   
 
     
 

Lowe Farm, Hunscote, Wellesbourne, Warwickshire. CV35 9EX
Tel: 01789 470505 Fax: 01789 470299