Thanks to a £1.44m Heritage Lottery Fund grant, English Heritage are hoping to fully restore and open up the little known gardens of Wrest Park in Bedfordshire.
For years the garden was overgrown and neglected as other parts of the park were being used as an agricultural research centre, but from June 2011 the Italian and Rose Gardens will be revealed to the public after this extensive renovation.
The park belonged to the Grey family from the Middle Ages right through to the mid 20th Century, and much of the garden’s splendour was created during the 18th Century by famous names such as Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, William Kent, Batty Langley and Thomas Archer.
What makes Wrest Park so unique is that unlike the majority of formal gardens, each part of the garden was kept in it’s original style rather than being replaced by the new vouge designs, thus giving an important historic angle to this opening.
Within the magnificent French-inspired Grade 1 listed mansion, there are plans to restore the the Countess’ Sitting Room and host an exhibition of the estate charting it’s changes throughout the centuries.
Full details of the plans from English Heritage
Note: Members of English Heritage will be able to get into Wrest Park and 450 other English Hertitage owned attractions for free – click here for details of joining.
