| Gatton Park - Surrey's Best Kept Secret |
For the Official Gatton Park Website - visit
www.gatton-park.org.uk
www.gatton-park.org.uk
Gatton Park is a 250 acre parkland
estate which is mentioned in the
Domesday book. It has many features
of outstanding natural beauty and it is
just 20 miles south of the centre of
London.
Better still - it is just 250 yards from
my front door.
Here are some photos I took of
various activities and flora to be found
within the park.
estate which is mentioned in the
Domesday book. It has many features
of outstanding natural beauty and it is
just 20 miles south of the centre of
London.
Better still - it is just 250 yards from
my front door.
Here are some photos I took of
various activities and flora to be found
within the park.
250 acres of parkland including about
30 acres of woodland, a 30 acre lake,
a canal, smaller lakes and ponds,
formal gardens, wilderness, paddocks,
stables, recreation fields, woodland
and lakeside walks - so much to do.
Gatton Park is open to the general
public only on the first Sunday of each
month.
30 acres of woodland, a 30 acre lake,
a canal, smaller lakes and ponds,
formal gardens, wilderness, paddocks,
stables, recreation fields, woodland
and lakeside walks - so much to do.
Gatton Park is open to the general
public only on the first Sunday of each
month.
Gatton Hall At the centre of Gatton
Park with a commanding view over the
Lake is the imposing building of Gatton
Hall.
Rebuilt in 1934 following a fire which
razed the old hall and all its art
treasures to the ground.
The top floor windows are obscured
by an extra two courses of masonry -
ordered by Sir Jeremiah Coleman
(Coleman's Mustard) when he found
out that his servants could see into the
Guest bedrooms from the lawn!
Park with a commanding view over the
Lake is the imposing building of Gatton
Hall.
Rebuilt in 1934 following a fire which
razed the old hall and all its art
treasures to the ground.
The top floor windows are obscured
by an extra two courses of masonry -
ordered by Sir Jeremiah Coleman
(Coleman's Mustard) when he found
out that his servants could see into the
Guest bedrooms from the lawn!
Gatton Park is owned by the Royal
Alexandra & Albert School. The hall is
used to host conferences and for
special occasions.
Gatton Park Conservation Volunteers
and Gatton Park Educational Trust
work in conjunction with the School to
offer wider access to the park and its
educational facilities.
Alexandra & Albert School. The hall is
used to host conferences and for
special occasions.
Gatton Park Conservation Volunteers
and Gatton Park Educational Trust
work in conjunction with the School to
offer wider access to the park and its
educational facilities.
The Recently Restored Japanese Garden
and some pink flowers breaking through the
snow
and some pink flowers breaking through the
snow
The Japanese Garden built in 1911,
fell into disrepair for over 50 years
until restored in 1999 by Gatton
Park Conservation Volunteers.
The restoration project featured on
Channel 4's "Lost Gardens" series.
It's hard to believe that these
ponds were 6' below the silt and the
whole area was a jungle of fallen
trees and undergrowth.
There are other formal gardens at
Gatton, including a Rock Garden
with ponds, and a "Lost World
Garden" yet to be resored.
Restoration work is undertaken by
Conservation Volunteers on
Sundays, and major schemes
co-ordinated with the School.
fell into disrepair for over 50 years
until restored in 1999 by Gatton
Park Conservation Volunteers.
The restoration project featured on
Channel 4's "Lost Gardens" series.
It's hard to believe that these
ponds were 6' below the silt and the
whole area was a jungle of fallen
trees and undergrowth.
There are other formal gardens at
Gatton, including a Rock Garden
with ponds, and a "Lost World
Garden" yet to be resored.
Restoration work is undertaken by
Conservation Volunteers on
Sundays, and major schemes
co-ordinated with the School.
A recent bonfire used to help clear
woodland waste and recreate a
clearing in the undergrowth.
woodland waste and recreate a
clearing in the undergrowth.
Much of the conservation work at
Gatton Park involves tidying up
dead wood from the woodland areas.
The only way to deal with this
valuable resource, currently is to
burn it.
Sadly, the loss of all this firewood is
beginning to play on my conscience,
and so I am investigating charcoal
burning as a means of getting a
greater benefit from the waste wood.
Here are a couple of the bonfires
which we have had over the last few
weekends. The larger timbers are
about 4' long and 4" in diameter.
Gatton Park involves tidying up
dead wood from the woodland areas.
The only way to deal with this
valuable resource, currently is to
burn it.
Sadly, the loss of all this firewood is
beginning to play on my conscience,
and so I am investigating charcoal
burning as a means of getting a
greater benefit from the waste wood.
Here are a couple of the bonfires
which we have had over the last few
weekends. The larger timbers are
about 4' long and 4" in diameter.
The West side of the Lake - just
before sunset on March 4th 2001.
After a long, hard day clearing
woodland to help make it more
accesible to the public, what a view
to take in on the walk home.
before sunset on March 4th 2001.
After a long, hard day clearing
woodland to help make it more
accesible to the public, what a view
to take in on the walk home.
All photos Copyright
(c) Ken Boak 2001
(c) Ken Boak 2001
