The present garden at the Menagerie is a relatively recent development.; in the 18th
century, exotic animals were kept to the rear of the house in a moated enclosure.
Horace Walpole described it as a “little wood, prettily disposed with many basons
of goldfish” . These were probably laid out by Thomas Wright of Durham who designed
the house.
Four of the ponds are incorporated in the present garden design. In the 1980’s the
central lime avenue, the two hornbeam allées, and the yew hedges were planted. The
Rose Garden was designed by Vernon Russell-Smith in 1989. The central lime avenue
leads to a spiral mound, made in 1982 from contractors’ spoil, which is planted with
Acaena microphylla. The two hornbeam allées which complete the patte d’oie (goosefoot)
pattern lead to relined eighteenth century ponds with fountains; the new central
yew avenue was planted in 2005.
Beyond the ponds lie two thatched arbours designed by Charles Morris. One is circular
and classical in style, now the Chapel of Our Lady Queen of Heaven and St. Francis
of Assisi, the other triangular and Gothic, with a pine cone-encrusted bed. They
both have a formal façade overlooking the formal pools and a rustic aspect, covered
with oak bole, which give on to informal waterscapes, one native, the other exotic,
which incorporate the remaining eighteenth century ponds. Each arbour has a third,
more secret entrance, leading to the house through serpentine bordered walks.
Between the western hornbeam allée and the drive lies the Vernal Garden with early
flowering plants in an informal setting.The main development of the garden was carried
out in 1992-94 to a design by Ian Kirby around the existing structure. The Nursery
area near the entrance was designed by Charles Morris from an initial concept by
Christopher Hobbs; the current owners have refurbished the outbuildings including
a conversion to a tearoom for garden visitors. The layout has been recently improved
and formalised by the addition of hornbeam hedges and a new planting. The nursery
has also been improved by the addition visitor facilities.
