The theatrical allure of the historic gardens at Mapperton in winter
Buried deep in the beautiful Dorset countryside, the idyllic garden at Mapperton is one of the most atmospheric and delightful in Britain, laid out in a picturesque, steep-sided combe that wends its way into the surrounding landscape. Steeped in history – indeed, it was named Historic Houses Garden of the Year in 2020 – it has been created over many years. Its first design was in the 17th century, when the Tudor manor on the site was remodelled. Not much of the original garden remains, but the grass terracing that steps down into the valley from the house is thought to date back to this time, as is a stone summerhouse in the middle of the formal garden – and the intriguing traces of a historic parterre are just about visible on the croquet lawn in summer when the weather is very dry. The valley runs from north to south, with formal topiary petering out into a leafy arboretum, where a path invites you onwards to mingle with a mix of interesting trees, shrubs and spring bulbs.
The entrance into this garden is all part of the drama. Through an intimate courtyard at the front of the house, visitors emerge onto the large grassy plateau of the croquet lawn. It is not until they reach the other side of the house that the main expanse is revealed, stretched out in an elaborate linear motif down the valley. The bird’s-eye view from above is spectacular, but when you reach the valley floor, you understand the scale of some of the topiary. Looking back up, the prospect is equally impressive, the stone manor house sitting squarely on the top terrace, commanding the scene. The interplay of landscape, garden and architecture is perfectly balanced, and a sense of permanence and indomitability pervades the place.
The elaborate fountain court at the northern end of the valley was designed in the Twenties by Ethel Labouchere, who bought the house in 1919 from the Compton family. Created in memory of her husband, the garden was laid out in the Italianate style popularised by the designer Harold Peto, with elaborate topiary, a central pool, stone pergolas and local Blue Lias stone paving that contrasts with the honey-coloured Hamstone walls.
Ethel clearly enjoyed making and using the gardens. She commissioned two grottoes to be built into the banks of the valley through retaining walls, added a fireplace and chimney in the 17th-century summerhouse, and tended vegetable beds on either side of the existing pools in the lower garden, which was thought to have been created before the turn of the century. She also had a passion for bird and animal statuary, acquiring a collection that is still dotted through the grounds, now covered with a patina of moss and lichen. Most of the statues are made from cast concrete or reconstituted stone, which in the Twenties was the latest innovation in statuary and all the rage.
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Like many properties, during the Second World War, Mapperton went into decline and, by the time Ethel died in 1955, the gardens were also sliding into decay. After her death, Mapperton was bought by Victor Montagu, then Viscount Hinchingbrooke and later Earl of Sandwich, who brought his own ideas and sensibilities. In 1968, he added an orangery perched at the top of the fountain court, offering another wonderful view down the length of the garden. Built from Minster reconstituted stone, the orangery now looks authentically weathered and at one with its surroundings (so much so that many are fooled into thinking it is an original 17th-century feature). He also planted more yews in the lower area along the furthest pool. Clipped into simple rounded shapes, the yews are less formal here than in the fountain court, easing the transition into the arboretum beyond.
Mapperton passed to the current Earl and Countess of Sandwich, John and Caroline Montagu, in 1995, and more recently their son Luke and daughter-in-law Julie have taken over the main house. John and Caroline now reside in the Old Rectory on the estate, but Caroline is still very much involved in the garden and has brought her own knowledge, energy and enthusiasm to its continued development. ‘The garden was my father-in-law’s pride and joy,’ she says. ‘He planted a huge number of important trees and shrubs in the arboretum – the tulip tree, for example, a handkerchief tree and several metasequoias. We have the notebooks in which he recorded all his planting, so I try to remain loyal to his schemes.’
With head gardener Steve Lannin, she is working on the planting at Mapperton, adding interesting herbaceous elements to the borders, in particular late-summer and autumn perennials to extend the season. ‘We are five miles from the sea and rarely get a frost early in the autumn, so it seems worth growing late salvias and dahlias that might be over elsewhere by this time,’ she says. Bright colours in the borders are almost a necessity, according to Steve, who has had to fight his natural urge for pastel tastefulness. ‘Because the gardens are viewed from above, the borders need strong colours to draw the eye,’ he says. Caroline adds, ‘I take a Fauve view. I get excited by the diversity of colour – it almost doesn’t matter what the colours are.’
But it is in winter that this theatrical garden comes into its own. With the house glowing in the low winter sun and the tops of the topiary lit up like beacons, the garden comes alive. Frost skims the flat surfaces of the yew hedges, highlighting their shapes, and the grassy slopes turn icy pale, making the topiary stand out even more prominently. ‘People love the strong architectural feel of the place,’ says Caroline. ‘They come once and then want to see it in a different season.’ Mapperton does indeed seduce its visitors. It is a garden that makes you feel comfortable, excited and intrigued all at once, and its proportions are not so grand as to appear overwhelming. On the contrary, entering Mapperton feels like stepping into a much-loved private family garden, in which you are left to explore and imagine the layers of history that have shaped it.
Mapperton, Beaminster, Dorset DT8 3NR, is currently closed for the winter, but will reopen to visitors on March 1: mapperton.com | ‘Winter Gardens’ by Clare Foster and Andrew Montgomery (Montgomery Press, £45) is available to buy from montgomerypress.co.uk
Andrew Montgomery1/3This stone and wood pergola, which is in the fountain court area of the garden, dates from the Twenties. A lichenspeckled, reconstituted stone bird from Ethel Labouchere’s cherished collection of animal statues stands sentry at one end.
Andrew Montgomery2/3One of two formal, rectangular stone pools shown on a tithe map of 1821, which predate the rest of the garden’s construction in the Twenties. The summerhouse is framed by lines of tall, shaped yew forms along both sides.
Andrew Montgomery3/3With the land dropping away into the arboretum at one end, the Italianate garden is flanked by imposing rows of slightly irregular yew domes. The upper pool is used for swimming by the Montagu family, who happily share it with the local frogs.
