Funded by the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, work to restore the Water Garden started in 2020. Following extensive archival research and careful excavation a wall around the pond and island in the middle were revealed and subsequently rebuilt. In the autumn of 2021 the natural spring was reconnected and the pond filled. Hestercombe also secured funding as part of the LEADER programme, which allowed us to rebuild the summerhouse and boathouse.
The summerhouse is based on a watercolour believed to have been painted by Coplestone Warre Bampfylde which depicts Hestercombe’s 17th century Water Garden and gives us the basis of the design.
In the late nineteenth century, the Portmans dredged the lake and added a boathouse, probably to facilitate duck shooting as ducks were known to be reared in the early 1900s at Combe House by the gamekeeper, Mr Butters. The foundations of the boathouse, along with a sunken punt, were uncovered during excavations.
The boathouse took design cues from the architecture of Hestercombe House, specifically the original meat store which was constructed in the same era. The boathouse is built in a horseshoe shape, following the original footings.
Alongside the Water Garden, handmade estate railings mark the boundary and were also taken from the original designs found elsewhere on the estate.
Hestercombe Gardens Estates Manager, Warren Leavens, said: “This water garden is just one of a handful left in the UK today, and there are only a couple still open to the public, which is why it was vital that we restored this hidden gem.
We’re delighted to restore this rare feature, and to get it back to its original splendour. Hestercombe is unique in having now four complete period gardens on one site, which firmly establishes it as one of the most important heritage gardens in the country.”
Now that it has been restored to its former glory, the punt from the Pear Pond has been relocated to the water garden, and we're aiming to open to public from Thursday 8th August, however this is subject to change based on when the sunflowers come into bloom.
Visitors will be able to walk the new sunflower meadow leading up to the Water Garden. Entry costs £5 to include five “pick your own” sunflowers.
This will be open daily between 11am and 4.30pm, while sunflowers are available. No booking needed. Please pay on arrival at Hestercombe’s Ticket Office.
