Ashcombe Gardens Journal

HRH The Prince of Wales sharing a joke with ENPA staff and volunteers of the Ashcombe Garden Project.
17th July 2019

Why are Ashcombe Gardens Important?

Ashcombe Gardens are an example of a nationally rare garden phenonmenon, and although uncompleted (and therefore fiendish to disentangle and work out), are worthy of better recognition.

Within the context of Exmoor and Simonsbath they could provide a place in which visitors can enter the story of the Knight family and Exmoor and better understand the concept of National Parks and what they stand for.

The restoration – perhaps not quite the right word for something that was never completed – will gently reveal and enhance the physical remains of the garden: the paths, bridges and outcrops, and sensitively add in a planting scheme that reflects what may have been there. They will also reunite White Rock Cottage and the buildings around it with the garden landscape, of which it forms an integral part.

We are on a journey, treading carefully and not rushing, a process that will gently re-awaken what was meant to be a Knightian paradise, gardens at the centre of a 16,000 acre estate set in the middle of Exmoor – a jewel in the Moorland crown.

A Brief History of Ashcombe Gardens

Ashcombe Gardens seem to have been laid out by John Knight to Picturesque principles. However, no documents have been found that relate to them and there are no plans or drawings of what was intended. Our understanding of them is derived from detailed study of the physical remains. Like all gardens they have evolved: in 1837 John Knight left Exmoor and his busy son Frederick carried on trying to make the Exmoor estate profitable. On his death in 1897 the Fortescue family moved briefly to live in Simonsbath in 1930's and the gardens were planted up. In the 1940’s the garden landscape in Ashcombe was clear felled and most of the trees removed. Since then it has been reverted to a mix of oak, ash and sycamore mainly.
Today the remains of the gardens reflect their original layout which we assume was begun in or just after 1820 to provide an appropriate setting for the mansion built in Simonsbath.

What is a Picturesque Landscape?

'In the 18th century, there was a fashion for manicured landscapes, represented best by the works of 'Capability' Brown. These were relatively naturalistic compared to what had preceded them. However, as time progressed there was an increasing move towards garden landscapes that took their cue much more from natural elements, and there was criticism of the contrived nature of Brownian landscapes with their shaved grassland, rounded hill forms and little clumps of trees.
To describe this phenomenon – which was effectively a greater appreciation of the beauty in natural forms and native species – the term Picturesque, Sublime and Romantic are used at various times in the later 18th century, with their precise meanings changing over time. We also must acknowledge that what they describe is highly subjective. All of this makes accurate classification of these garden landscapes today quite difficult. However, the proponents of the Picturesque and the almost contemporary works of the Romantic Poets, laid the foundation, in terms of thinking, that led ultimately to the National Parks Movement and the design of Exmoor as a National Park in 1954.

In the midst of these Picturesque concepts – and key proponents of them – are members of the Knight family: Richard Payne Knight who created the Picturesque landscape at Downton Castle and was a key protagonist of the entire concept and Thomas Johnes who created the Pictureque landscape at Hafod. Both men were second cousins of our John Knight. John’s aunt Mary lived at Hestercombe, married to the creator of the Picturesque landscape there, Coplestone Warre Bampfyled.

As Michael Symes, an authority on these types of landscapes acknowledges, the Picturesque was in the Knight family genes! However, Simonsbath has not yet taken its place amongst those great garden landscapes.

The Picturesque conforms to key principles. Perhaps underlying it all is that it takes its cue from nature. However, it is more subtle than that, because nature can nearly always be improved upon! The term itself – Picturesque – is used because the gardens are effectively a series of ‘pictures’. The garden is a journey around the landscape and at certain points the visitor is brought to a specific point to experience (see/hear/smell/sense) a special view or effect. These can be gentle or overwhelming (such as giddy precipice). The Picturesque is about contrast, surprise, textures (rough and smooth) and so on. Underpinnig this is the use of mainly native plants and trees, used artfully. Also used are ‘rockwork’ in the form of stones, boulders and outcrops. Rusticity is valued highly and local materials are used in any structures. People place an energy, scale or presence in such landscapes, so that a wooded combe may have a simple hut, a river an old mill or a hill a ruin. Ashcombe conforms to all of these principles, despite being built at a time when the Picturesque was almost out of fashion (is that because John Knight, at 53, had never really had control of his own estate and wanted to create what he knew best?).

The Ashcombe Gardens Volunteers and the work they are doing with ENPA.

Volunteer Gardener Days began in March 2019 with Snowdrop and tree planting. The volunteers will be at Ashcombe gardens on the first Monday of every month with an array of jobs; planting, tidying and cleaning the White Rocks of Ashcombe to name but a few. Each day's events will be recorded here with the most recent entry at the top.
Journal written by Charlotte Hornsby

Ashcombe Garden’s
Volunteer Day
Journal

Day Seven - Monday 7th October 2019

Today was an incredibly wet day but all were very excited as we were allowed to start the White Rock Cottage Garden. It was completely over grown and very difficult and dangerous to make your way through to the bottom of the garden. We had photos to show what it used to look like in the 1950's but you could not see any of that today! The laurel, snow berry and general vegetation had completely covered the paths and previous flower borders. The Buxus, which was originally cloud pruned, had become tall shrubs but thankfully they still look healthy. Our job was to find the ground and that we did. We cleared a path from the corner of the Gardeners Store to the lower end of the garden and created two piles; one of cut logs and branches and the other of green vegetation. We made sure that both piles were cut in to small pieces so that they looked tidy. We will be in there again in November for our last out door volunteer day of the year. The best part was that during the lunch break the garden volunteers used the gardeners store and all felt very proud to be using it for what it was intended. On that wet day, we really needed somewhere dry and it was perfect with a fab view up Ashcombe. We all took a moment to think of the past gardeners who had worked in the gardens.

Volunteer Trip to Hestercombe
September 2019

Today was a treat, as we were given a special thank you by Rob Wilson-North of ENPA (who is the main researcher of the Knights history). He paid for the volunteers to have free entry in to Hestercombe, have lunch and also a tour of the garden by the Head Gardener. Hestercombe is a unique collection of gardens (near Taunton, Somerset) which span three centuries of garden history. Hestercombe’s Landscape Garden, has a special connection with our Ashcombe Gardens as it was owned and designed by Coplestone Warre Bampfylde whose wife was Mary Knight - John Knight's Aunt. We all feel that JK would have visited Hestercombe at sometime and maybe got some inspiration from it. It was wonderful to hear how Hestercombe was completely over grown to begin with and has taken many years to get to the incredible garden that it is today. We heard about plans that had been implemented and then changed when new evidence came to light. We also discovered how they are learning to live along side the laurel, something we have a problem with too. The weather was amazing and to hear the story of the garden from the actual people who work it today was a very special treat. We all went away with new vigour and enthusiasm and can't wait to get back to our garden challenge. We did, however, tell them that their white rocks around the cascade needed cleaning and they said they would pass that on to their volunteers.

Day Seven -
Monday 3rd September 2019

Our September volunteer day was a day to keep on top of things. There was a pile of previously cut stems that needed to be moved away from the river bank edge. This will eventually find a better place but for now it is away from any water flow. Rocks that are along the West path were continued to be cleaned and their true size is starting to become apparent. A group of volunteers went with an ENPA Ranger to look at channelling the water flow on the East path. This was a temporary measure as we need to look at drainage in a more permanent and sympathetic way to the picturesque style in the future, but it will help in the short term. The meadow grass that was cut last month had been left in situ above the quarry and a couple of volunteers grabbed rakes and made a huge pile that will gently rot down. There was the usual maintenance of overgrown areas that had been cleared previously mainly willows, brambles and raspberries,

Day Six - Monday 5th August 2019

Today the volunteers had a look at the swamp area and all the trees that had been planted to make sure their growth had not been 'swamped' by all the other vegetation. The paths were checked for any over growing areas especially the West path whose vegetation had completely taken over and the path had disappeared. So volunteers got stuck in and cleared the way again. Past areas of the garden that had been cleared over the last few months were checked for more growth and rocks, as always, were cleaned of moss. Our 'water-vols' (our two volunteers who love to be in the river) carried on with their cutting back of willows and sycamore on the banks. After lunch all the volunteers enjoyed a full tour of the garden as many had not been all the way to the top. It is still very precarious with lack of paths and a lot of boggy areas but all agreed it was good to take a step back and see the bigger picture.

Day Five - Monday 2nd July 2019

Clearing of Willows, Sycamores and whippy saplings has continued with the overall effect being of opening up little gems. A tranquil tiny waterfall in front of the cottage can now be enjoyed where once before it was over grown and impossible to see. The ferns are really telling their story this month as they grow taller and now we have removed the competition of brambles and wild raspberries they are just looking so majestic especially in front of the West Rock which is now completely cleared of moss. It was a huge job as some areas were very difficult to reach. Other rocks along the west path are beginning to have their mossy jackets removed and it is incredible to see, when you start exposing them, just how big they are. The leaf litter, soil and vegetation has encroached over them for so many years that it is a treat to finally view them as they were intended. Dock clearance in the wild flower meadow has continued and all the volunteers and visitors on the day said how beautiful the meadow was looking with the grasses blowing in the breeze and the intriguing cut path progressing up the hill. Many people were talking about other wild flower meadows that they have seen around the UK and hope that ours will look the same one day. It will take time as a wildflower meadow has to be carefully managed but we will get there. The volunteers are such a great bunch of enthusiastic people who really understand what a Picturesque Garden means, when they return each month and look at areas that they cleared previously they now know what to do to maintain the beauty. The BBC Radio Somerset lady who interviewed me at the end of the day said that she did not think the garden needed work as it was looking so beautiful, but I said that is because the Vols have worked so hard on it since March and so when people come they can now admire the gardens where as before it was just a wildness that most people ignored, used the loos and went on their travels. Now they stop and go for a wonder on the cut paths and chat to volunteers. People were coming in to the car park who had no idea of the garden’s existence and were so blown away by the story of John Knight and his Picturesque Garden. They went away with the desire to keep returning to see how the garden develops, and they all want to walk in the Knight's family footsteps around the entire circular walk.

Day Four - Monday 3rd June 2019

Good progress was made when three volunteers stormed through the laurel and sycamore along the stream near the cottage. Two volunteers did a great job cleaning up the West Rock and several of the others pulled up docks and raspberries from the area in front so the ferns really stand out there now. Volunteers also moved the ferns that were blocking a path that leads from the old quarry towards where a bridge will be built to cross the waterfall/gully. These ferns have been replanted in the quarry. Wood was also cleared along the path up towards the top end of the garden.

Five people from Amber in Bideford joined the group for a few hours shifting some of the wood piles to the bonfire which was a fantastic help as it is a long walk up hill.

Day Three - Monday 1st April 2019

Ashcombe Gardens Volunteer Journal - Monday 1st April
The day started with a briefing and those who wanted to make a start in cleaning the white rocks were given a very special tool – a tooth brush – well, it was April Fools Day! Armed with something more substantial than a tooth brush, several volunteers were very keen to expose the rocks in all their glory. Another team of volunteers cleared the wall, near the stream and car park, of all its brambles and rotten wood. We wanted to expose the wall as it is a wonderful feature with in the garden but it was like a wall in Sleeping Beauty’s garden, you could not see it for growth. If you now visit the Ashcombe Gardens you will be so impressed by the work that has been done. The Rocks and the Wall are now telling their story and they are shouting it loud and clear. It was such a beautiful day that all the volunteers had lunch sat together on the grass, without coats on, in the fabulous sunshine.

Three days later Simonsbath woke up to snow, what a difference a few days makes high up on Exmoor. There was another team of volunteers on Monday who had a major task – to remove the very unsightly blue pipe that has been in the stream for years. After weeks of making sure it was not connected to anyone’s water supply the pipe was finally removed. All were happy to see it gone. A few volunteers removed some young trees that had grown in the path that leads to a view point. This path now looks open and inviting and takes you to the top of the large White Rock. The volunteers all went home happy in the knowledge that they had done a good day’s work and had something incredible to show for it.

Day Two - Friday 22nd March 2019

This was an extra day, a bonus day, due to something very special happening of which I have to keep secret for a couple more weeks! Look out for it in a later blog.
So what I can tell you is that 12 volunteers turned up at 10.30am to plant up an area near the Ashcombe Stream next to the meadow. This is a boogy waterlogged area and so it was agreed to plant Flag Iris, Meadow sweet and Ragged Robin.
These three plants are native and are found on Exmoor but don't seem to have settled in Ashcombe. We are hoping that with some careful management they will thrive. The Meadow sweet and Ragged Robin will naturally seed themselves and the Flag Iris will form clumps which can be lifted and divided as they grow. They had arrived as very tiny plug plants and so while a few volunteers put themselves forward to assist with the 'Secret Mission' the rest, guided by Patrick Watts-Mabbot and Jackie Kiberd from ENPA, planted up these small beauties. The flag iris will eventually become over 1 metre tall but they went in today with only a height of 4 cm. We are hoping that people will not walk all over them too much, but plants are pretty resilient and have to put up with all sorts to survive and it will be amazing to see them reach their full height and colour in the summer. Once this job was completed they then went a made a clearing in the upper area which will possibly one day become an orchard. After a lunch and chatting about future tasks it was decided to end the session.
The volunteers are working well together and forming a really good group of people who have a keen interest in helping the gardens develop.
CH

Day One – Monday 4th March 2019

After an amazing week of weather the volunteers were greeted by torrential rain, hail and thankfully some dry moments too. This did not deter the 20 people who had turned out to start bringing back John Knights vision.

After a quick cuppa and a briefing by Rob Wilson-North and Patrick Watts-Mabbott, it was off to start work. The majority joined Charlotte Hornsby in planting 1350 snowdrops on the East side beyond the white rock outcrop. The rest joined Graeme McVittie and planted very young trees in an area now lovingly known as the Swamp. These included, Portuguese Laurel, English Yew, Swamp Cypress, Scots Pine and various willows including Purple Willow and rather aptly named for the area, Swamp Cypress. There was also planting of Yew and Box above the swamp area on the west side.

BBC Radio Somerset and Exmoor Radio both arrived during the morning and interviewed several members of the group to discover more about the project. After lunch the team carried on with the last of the tree planting, pruning willows near the stream and taking all the woody material up to an area for a bonfire for later in the year.

The volunteers were excellent throughout the whole day and were all really keen to get stuck in, even if the weather was not that pleasant at times. All of the work planned for the day was completed in a much quicker time than was expected which was fantastic. The April volunteer day will be cleaning the quartz, and tidying the pathways plus any other pruning that is required. Most had finished by 2.30pm and so it was decided to end there.
CH