Caversham Court
Encyclopedia
Caversham Court is a public garden
and was a mansion
located on the north bank of the River Thames
in Caversham
, a suburb
of Reading
in the English
county of Berkshire
(formerly in Oxfordshire
). The park lies within the St Peter's conservation area
. The park is listed as Grade II in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
.
to the east of St Peter's Church
, which was built in the 12th century. Walter Giffard, the second Earl of Buckingham
, donated the land for the church and neighbouring rectory, together with a considerable amount of land around it, to the Augustinian
Abbey
of Notley near Long Crendon
in Buckinghamshire
. They erected a small monastic cell there.
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries
, these lands were given to Christchurch College, Oxford. Over the next four centuries, the Old Rectory, which became known as Caversham Court, was occupied by some of the most influential families in the Reading area, who both improved and enhanced the site.
A Tudor
replacement for the original house was built around two courtyards. Its beautiful timber-framing led to its nickname of the Striped House. It had a 1638 staircase, with bullet holes from a Civil War
attack, and an elaborate decorated plaster ceiling. Parts of both are preserved in the Museum of Reading
. In the 1840s, the rectory and garden walls were rebuilt to a design by A W Pugin who gave the house a castellated facade with fretwork balustrading.
The garden contains a number of Grade II listed buildings and features: the riverside garden pavilion (gazebo
), the retaining walls to the raised walk leading to the gazebo, the screen wall along the north east boundary (early to mid 19th century), the retaining walls of axial east-west garden terrace walk (17th century, probably rebuilt in the 18th century), the 17th century stables and the retaining wall of St. Peter’s Churchyard and Church of St Peter (the crinkle-crankle wall) (18th century). The two-storey gazebo, built in 1663, is one of the oldest remaining examples in the country. It was partially restored in 1979/80.
s which were converted to allotments
during World War II
as part of the "Dig for Victory" campaign. The allotments in the northwest corner preserve the boundaries of the kitchen gardens with its ‘crinkle–crankle’ wall and a tall yew
hedge forming the southern boundary. The north boundary with the churchyard is 4 to 5 metres higher than the gardens below. In the northeast is the stable block of the former house.
Caversham Court contains a number of fine tree specimens in particular, a large Wellingtonia
, a Bhutan Pine
(Pinus wallichiana), a cedar of Lebanon
, an Atlas cedar
and a black mulberry
near the main entrance. There are also massive yew hedges surrounding the allotment gardens in the north west of the park and an old layered yew, a feature popular in the seventeenth century, whereby a 'family' was created by layering
to create a complete ring of 'offspring'.
run by local charities and the proposal of a passenger ferry across the River Thames
during events. Restoration work and ongoing maintenance of the gardens is promoted by the Friends of Caversham Court Gardens.
In 2010, the gardens won a Green Flag Award
with Green Heritage Site Accreditation.
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
and was a mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
located on the north bank of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in Caversham
Caversham, Berkshire
Caversham is a suburb and former village in the unitary authority of Reading, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, within the royal county of Berkshire, on the opposite bank from the rest of Reading...
, a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
(formerly in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
). The park lies within the St Peter's conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
. The park is listed as Grade II in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
In England, the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England provides a listing and classification system for historic parks and gardens similar to that used for listed buildings. The register is managed by English Heritage under the provisions of the National...
.
House
The medieval community of Caversham was clustered on the north side of Caversham BridgeCaversham Bridge
Caversham Bridge is a bridge across the River Thames between Caversham and the town centre of Reading. The bridge is situated on the reach above Caversham Lock, carrying the A4155 road across the river and also providing pedestrian access to the adjacent mid-river Pipers Island.The first bridge on...
to the east of St Peter's Church
St Peter's Church, Caversham
St Peter's Church is a Church of England parish church in Caversham, a suburb of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. It is situated close to the River Thames in Caversham Heights.- History :...
, which was built in the 12th century. Walter Giffard, the second Earl of Buckingham
Earl of Buckingham
The peerage title Earl of Buckingham was created several times in the Peerage of England.It was first created in 1097 for Walter Giffard, but became extinct in 1164 with the death of the second earl. It may have been created again in 1164 for Richard de Clare , who died without issue in 1176...
, donated the land for the church and neighbouring rectory, together with a considerable amount of land around it, to the Augustinian
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
Abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
of Notley near Long Crendon
Long Crendon
Long Crendon is a village and civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England, about west of Haddenham and north-west of Thame in neighbouring Oxfordshire.The village has been called Long Crendon only since the English Civil War...
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. They erected a small monastic cell there.
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
, these lands were given to Christchurch College, Oxford. Over the next four centuries, the Old Rectory, which became known as Caversham Court, was occupied by some of the most influential families in the Reading area, who both improved and enhanced the site.
A Tudor
Tudor architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
replacement for the original house was built around two courtyards. Its beautiful timber-framing led to its nickname of the Striped House. It had a 1638 staircase, with bullet holes from a Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
attack, and an elaborate decorated plaster ceiling. Parts of both are preserved in the Museum of Reading
Museum of Reading
The Museum of Reading is a museum of the history of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire, and the surrounding area...
. In the 1840s, the rectory and garden walls were rebuilt to a design by A W Pugin who gave the house a castellated facade with fretwork balustrading.
History
The gardens were laid out between 1660 and 1681 by Thomas Loveday as a private retreat surrounding the house. In 1933 the rectory and grounds were sold to Reading Corporation, who demolished the house. Initially there were plans to use part of the site for road building. However, the gardens were opened to the public in Easter 1934. Caversham Court is currently owned by Reading Borough Council. Until its closure for refurbishment the site had been used for religious purposes by local Pagans. The garden was re-opened on 7 August 2009.The garden contains a number of Grade II listed buildings and features: the riverside garden pavilion (gazebo
Gazebo
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal, that may be built, in parks, gardens, and spacious public areas. Gazebos are freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed, and open on all sides; they provide shade, shelter, ornamental features in a landscape, and a place to rest...
), the retaining walls to the raised walk leading to the gazebo, the screen wall along the north east boundary (early to mid 19th century), the retaining walls of axial east-west garden terrace walk (17th century, probably rebuilt in the 18th century), the 17th century stables and the retaining wall of St. Peter’s Churchyard and Church of St Peter (the crinkle-crankle wall) (18th century). The two-storey gazebo, built in 1663, is one of the oldest remaining examples in the country. It was partially restored in 1979/80.
Layout
The gardens are laid out on three terraces and cover an area of 1.3 hectares (3.2 acre). The lower two consist of lawn dotted with mature trees; the upper terrace is the site of the old rectory and the original kitchen gardenKitchen garden
The traditional kitchen garden, also known as a potager, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden - the ornamental plants and lawn areas...
s which were converted to allotments
Allotment (gardening)
An allotment garden, often called simply an allotment, is a plot of land made available for individual, non-professional gardening. Such plots are formed by subdividing a piece of land into a few or up to several hundreds of land parcels that are assigned to individuals or families...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as part of the "Dig for Victory" campaign. The allotments in the northwest corner preserve the boundaries of the kitchen gardens with its ‘crinkle–crankle’ wall and a tall yew
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
hedge forming the southern boundary. The north boundary with the churchyard is 4 to 5 metres higher than the gardens below. In the northeast is the stable block of the former house.
Caversham Court contains a number of fine tree specimens in particular, a large Wellingtonia
Sequoiadendron
Sequoiadendron giganteum is the sole living species in the genus Sequoiadendron, and one of three species of coniferous trees known as redwoods, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae, together with Sequoia sempervirens and...
, a Bhutan Pine
Blue Pine
Pinus wallichiana is a pine native to the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains, from eastern Afghanistan east across northern Pakistan and India to Yunnan in southwest China. It grows at high altitudes in mountain valleys at altitudes of 1800–4300 m , and is a tree from 30–50 m in height...
(Pinus wallichiana), a cedar of Lebanon
Lebanon Cedar
Cedrus libani is a species of cedar native to the mountains of the Mediterranean region.There are two distinct types that are considered to be different subspecies or varieties. Lebanon cedar or Cedar of Lebanon Cedrus libani is a species of cedar native to the mountains of the Mediterranean...
, an Atlas cedar
Atlas Cedar
Cedrus atlantica, the Atlas Cedar, is a cedar native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco . A majority of the modern sources treat it as a distinct species Cedrus atlantica, but some sources consider it a subspecies of Lebanon Cedar Cedrus atlantica, the Atlas Cedar, is a cedar native to...
and a black mulberry
Black Mulberry
Morus nigra, the Black mulberry, is a species of mulberry. It is native to southwestern Asia, where it has been cultivated for so long that its precise natural range is unknown.-Description:...
near the main entrance. There are also massive yew hedges surrounding the allotment gardens in the north west of the park and an old layered yew, a feature popular in the seventeenth century, whereby a 'family' was created by layering
Layering
Layering is a means of plant propagation in which a portion of an aerial stem grows roots while still attached to the parent plant and then detaches as an independent plant. Layering has evolved as a common means of vegetative propagation of numerous species in natural environments...
to create a complete ring of 'offspring'.
Restoration
On 7 August 2009, the gardens reopened after a £1.6 million ($2.5 million USD) restoration. The work has seen the establishment of a tea kioskCafé
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
run by local charities and the proposal of a passenger ferry across the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
during events. Restoration work and ongoing maintenance of the gardens is promoted by the Friends of Caversham Court Gardens.
In 2010, the gardens won a Green Flag Award
Green Flag Award
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales that met the laid down high standards...
with Green Heritage Site Accreditation.