The Bohemia Walled Garden its history and current use.
The Gardener's Magazine 1841
The Property and Residence of Wastel Brisco, Esq.
By H. C. O.
The notices of gardens and country seats in your Magazine I have always considered extremely interesting; particularly when points of good culture, or when any remarkable facts, are included in the observations. Such being my opinion of them, I shall, as occasion offers, forward you a notice of any place I may see, which I think may be interesting to your readers, leaving it to your judgement whether or not you think it worthy of insertion. My powers of description are not equal to those of many of your contributors, but I hope an occasional practical observation will make up for other deficiencies. With regard to the architectural style of the house, in any of my notices, I shall say but little; indeed, I think there would be a difficulty in distinguishing many of them as belonging to any particular style.
Bohemia, the residence and property of Wastel Brisco, Esq., is situated about one mile north-west of the town of Hastings, and commands singularly beautiful and extensive land and sea views, extending from Beachy Head to Dungeness Point. The house, a modern-built one, stands on a declivity, the ground rising gradually; it was the residence of the Princess Sophia of Gloucester in the year 1830. The present possessor has enclosed the estate with a stone wall, which is a great improvement as far as regards that portion adjoining the high road; but the principal improvements are in the garden.
On the east side of the house, and adjoining to it, is a large green-house, which contains some fine specimens of geraniums, particularly Smith's new scarlet; also May's new fuchsias, many species of Cacti, a fine plant of Abutilon striatum, and a quantity of young plants of Araucaria imbricata, raised there from seed, the whole of which were very healthy. In front of the house is a broad terrace walk, with which I was particularly struck; it being apparently very hard and level, an occurrence very unusual in this neighbourhood, from the want of good gravel. The gardener, Mr. Fielder, informed me it was composed of pounded chalk, and fine shingle from the sea-side, made into a mortar, laid down in its wet state, 6 in. thick, and rolled as soon as it got a little set; it appeared almost like a solid pavement. Two feet below this walk, and divided from it by a green bank, is a piece of level turf about 50 ft. wide, from which you descend by a flight of steps to the flower-garden. This is divided from the lawn by a neat stone wall, having a southern aspect, the top being on a level with the lawn : there were some fine plants of Erythrina Crista galli, Salvia patens, splendens, fulgens, involucrata, &c, planted against it, beautifully in flower. The flower-garden is laid out in beds of various shapes, the whole forming a square. The walks are 4 ft. wide, made with the same sort of materials as the above terrace. The beds are judiciously planted with calceolarias, heliotropiums, geraniums, pansies, berberries, &c, also several fine specimens of Tropae^olum tricolorum, and about 150 varieties of China roses, many of them first-rate sorts. Mr. Fielder informed me that he has a splendid collection of bulbs, to take the place of the tender plants as soon as they are destroyed by frost.
To the south of this, and leading to the kitchen-garden, which is entirely out of view, are the pleasure-ground and shrubbery, containing some beds of roses, rhododendrons, azaleas, and other shrubs, as well as many choice coniferous plants ; among others, Araucaria imbricata; the whole of which are growing luxuriantly, and appear to stand the sea air well. Below this shrubbery is the kitchen-garden, containing about one acre, surrounded by a wall 12 ft. high, into which are built iron loops ; willow rods are introduced through them to train the trees to, and answer the purpose very well: thus, nailing is entirely done away with.
The young trees, which were planted at the time of the formation of the garden, two years ago, are in a very promising state. The walks have brick edges, which in many situations are preferable to box, or any of its substitutes. On the north side of the garden, and at a distance from the outside of the wall, is a high bank, caused by excavating the earth to make the garden level: against the bank there is a wall built, to prevent the earth falling into the north slip. On the top of this bank Mr. Fielder has planted pear trees, and trained them downwards: at present they are looking well. Close to the back of the stables is a range of cucumber and melon pits; the latter contained an excellent crop of the Beachwood green-flesh. Preparations are making for a range of pine-pits; and I have no doubt, in the hands of the present spirited proprietor and his gardener, Mr. Fielder, Bohemia will become a place of considerable note with the surrounding country. --August, 1841.
Art. HI. The Principles of Gardening physiologically considered. By
G. Regel, Gardener in the Royal Botanic Garden, Berlin.
(Translated from the Garten Zeitung, May 9th, 1840.)
(Continuedfrom p. 535.)
The Walled Garden - Construction Details
The walled garden is constructed of brick being (73m x 27m x 4m High) 234' long and 84' wide and just over 12' high without any buttresses. The length of the garden would fit accross the track inside the Barlow train shed at St Pancras International with just a few feet to spare. The 1' 2" wide wall is constructed in English Bond style and is topped by a sandstone plinth. The external southwest side of the walled garden is attractively faced in sandstone. From ground level the 45 courses of bricks making a total of about 105,000 bricks used above ground. The current entrance is located on the southwestern edge of the long side and there is an indication of a bricked up door on the centre of the north east side. Both on the inside and outside walls there are hundreds of metal eyes once used for climbing plants. At the centre of the long wall adjacent to the pond there is an indication of a pump on the 1873 map. This is likely to have been a source of water for the garden and may have been the reason for the construction of the pond outside near to the entrance. On the north side of garden at the centre of the wall is a blocked up entrance that is likely to have given access to a ramp up to a higher area of the garden. The 1873 map also shows a short flight of steps up the embankment near to the existing entrance door. This feature still remains and has recently been revealed by volunteers from the Friends of Summerfields Woods.The walled garden located at O/S map reference TQ 80950975 was built after construction of Bohemia House
Local bricklayer John Jinks was responsible for many of the improvements to Brisco Estate.
For information about John Jinks click HERE
The walled garden is constructed of brick being (73m x 27m x 4m High) 234' long and 84' wide and just over 12' high without any buttresses. The length of the garden would fit accross the track inside the Barlow train shed at St Pancras International with just a few feet to spare. The 1' 2" wide wall is constructed in English Bond style and is topped by a sandstone plinth. The external southwest side of the walled garden is attractively faced in sandstone. From ground level the 45 courses of bricks making a total of about 105,000 bricks used above ground. The current entrance is located on the southwestern edge of the long side and there is an indication of a bricked up door on the centre of the north east side. Both on the inside and outside walls there are hundreds of metal eyes once used for climbing plants. At the centre of the long wall adjacent to the pond there is an indication of a pump on the 1873 map. This is likely to have been a source of water for the garden and may have been the reason for the construction of the pond outside near to the entrance. On the north side of garden at the centre of the wall is a blocked up entrance that is likely to have given access to a ramp up to a higher area of the garden. The 1873 map also shows a short flight of steps up the embankment near to the existing entrance door. This feature still remains and has recently been revealed by volunteers from the Friends of Summerfields Woods.The walled garden located at O/S map reference TQ 80950975 was built after construction of Bohemia House
Local bricklayer John Jinks was responsible for many of the improvements to Brisco Estate.
For information about John Jinks click HERE
Measurements of the Walled Garden
234 feet long 71 metres
84 feet wide 25 metres
12 feet high 3.6metres
84 feet wide 25 metres
12 feet high 3.6metres
Styles of bricks making up the walls.
The photographs below give an indication of the different styles of bricklaying making up the walls.