We were a group of about 30 English Heritage members in a queue outside Walmer Castle waiting for a guided tour during Members’ Week. While we waited, we looked down into the moat and noted that the grass was being mown by a robot, not a scary metal humanoid, but a rounded metal container, lawn mower size but without handles, that constantly runs at random over the grass, clipping the grass tips, so that from above it looks like a lawn.
16th century castle to deter foreign invaders
The head gardener, Philip Oostenbrink, began with history. Walmer Castle, along with Deal and Sandown, was built in one year in 1539 on the orders of Henry VIII, who was in a hurry to defend England against the French, the Spanish and the Pope. But it was never attacked from abroad. The only attack came a century later during the Civil War and it was from the landward side.
The moat has never been filled with water and, for some years trees, including some fruit trees, grew there. Now the plan is to plant it up with large leafy plants that will look good from above and make a fun jungle trail for families.
Later kitchen garden addition
The kitchen garden was probably started in the 17th century to supply the garrison and staff. It was then redone under Lord Beauchamp in the early 20th century. In this month there are huge rhubarb and artichoke plants. The soil looks well-tilled and clean of weeds.
They eradicate bindweed by means of a smart machine that sends an electric current down the twirling white roots. Eager gardeners in the group immediately asked where it could be obtained and whether Walmer would hire it out!
Flower garden and sundial adorned grassy terraces
The flower garden, with its two long side borders, was planted in the 1860s with perennials. The long lawn verges are typical of mid-Victorian garden design. The two borders point onward through the wooded area to a ‘keyhole’ space on the horizon, where they have recently cut back the overhanging branches to achieve this effect.
In the middle of this view, above a grassy terrace, is an impressive stone sundial with a metal sphere on top which was recently purchased to replace one that was stolen! There was much muttering and joking among the group as to how one steals such a cumbersome object. Put it under your coat? In a bag? It was done at night, of course.
Queen Mother’s garden complete with impressive pool
We then went to the adjoining Queen Mother’s garden, commissioned in her honour when she turned 95. She was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports from 1978 to 2002, with an apartment in the Castle. This garden consists of an oblong pool of water, stretching from a covered viewing point and with flower beds at the back and sides. The pool was made 95 feet long and 95 cm deep, in acknowledgment of the royal age. The mixing of imperial and metric measures is wryly noted. The 95 cm deep depends on rainfall anyway.
The surrounding garden was designed by Penelope Osborne. Other plants had intruded into the plots so they are now gradually replacing these to fit the original plan.
Woodlands reopened
We then walked up and through the woody area to the Glen. This was a project of William Pitt’s niece in the early 19th century when Prime Minister William Pitt, as Lord Warden, took up residence in the Castle after he lost his family estate. The Glen was formerly a chalk quarry which was then made into an area of curving paths for the ladies to take their afternoon walks. But from the 1920s it had become woodland, almost inaccessible. In 2018 the paths were remade, and the self-set trees were chopped down, leaving the cut timber scattered along the Glen floor. All timber cut on the estate is retained because logs and fallen trees form havens for insects. “And for fungus”, someone remarked, expertly giving the names of some of the fungus growing on that timber.
As we walked along the woodland path, we could see the pink flowering cherry tree that was a gift from the Emperor of Japan. He gave 100 to the British nation and they have been shared out across various prominent sites so that we can have our own cherry blossom festival at this season.
Restored carriageway but no pedestrian access
The 24-acre estate also includes two large fields: the top one is a fairly dry meadow and the bottom one is very wet, especially since we have had so much rain. I know, as I trudged through its mud to reach the entrance to the Castle. This wetter field is going to be turned into a King’s meadow (in honour of the Coronation). Between these two meadows is a field where sheep are grazing.
A recent project has been to clear and put gravel on the road between the elegant iron gates, to restore what was the Regency carriageway up to the castle. I asked if that could be opened for pedestrian access instead of the muddy footpath in the lower field. The answer was NO, because of “sheep and security.” A decisive but not very acceptable answer. They could unchain those two gates during opening hours as the castle-side gate is directly opposite the staffed Castle entrance. Sheep could be more of a problem if foolish people choose to bring in their frisky dogs, but a notice could forbid this, and staff at the Castle entrance could accost those trying to bring their dogs across the field despite a notice.
In these days of the climate crisis, English Heritage should be doing the utmost to encourage LESS use of cars and more planet-friendly means of access. How about a new aim for English Heritage to map how visitors can access each and every one of their properties by public transport and on foot, which is the quickest way to and from a rail station or bus stop?
The environmental plan for the two meadows is to let them rewild, expecting different plants will predominate in each, because of their different soil consistency.
To one side of the woodland is an area that was formerly the paddock for William Pitt’s horses. But quite large trees are now growing on it. It has been decided that the area should be allowed to revert to paddock again, although they will not cut down the healthy trees. Rather they will wait until they fall. So, it will probably be about 150 – 500 years until this area is restored to paddock.
Long term planning with history in mind
The head gardener explained that they have plans for each area of the garden going forward, with full knowledge of the expected life of what is growing in each area. As his talk illustrated, they are also working from awareness of how each area was previously utilised and planted in various epochs. At the end of the talk, I left quickly to walk up to the train station (via the muddy field!) but I felt oddly at ease with the pace of life, somehow closer to the different rhythms and lifespans of plants and trees, and the gardeners who work such a historical garden, with plans spanning centuries.
