Grims Dyke, Harrow

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Gardens and pleasure grounds laid out in the 1870s as the setting to a private residence, developed and extended in the 1890s and early 1900s.

DESCRIPTION

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Grim's Dyke is situated to the north-west of Harrow Weald. The 11ha site lies to the north of the Old Redding road and Harrow Weald Common, which forms its southern boundary. To the east the grounds adjoin a further part of the Common; to the north is farmland. The OS map of 1877 shows the present boundaries of the site in place although the land was then still part of the Common.

ENTRANCES AND APPROACHES

A serpentine drive leads north from the gate piers between railings at the South Lodge (listed grade II), built in 1871 by Norman Shaw, at the south-east corner of the site. Passing through wooded pleasure grounds, this approach arrives at the yew-hedged court on the north front of the house. A second drive leads off the A409 to the east, passing across the Common and between New Lodge and North Lodge, behind which stand the stables, to join with the southern approach. To the east of the house is a tarmacked car-parking area.

PRINCIPAL BUILDING

The large, irregular house (listed grade II*) is in a modified Tudor style of two and three storeys. It is built of red brick and stone, with timber-framed gables, and is situated in the centre of the landscape.

GARDENS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS

To the south of the house lies a formal lawn surrounded by a low wall, with a yew hedge along the top of the retaining wall which forms its southern edge. A walk extends along the west side, beneath the west front of the house, to join with the flight of steps leading up from the entrance court. A second set of steps leads down through the balustraded flint and brick retaining walls to the sunken formal garden which lies to the north-west of the house. Presumably dating from the 1870s, the garden is laid out with a large circular bed at either end.

From the western end of the sunken garden, a yew-hedged walk leads to walks through the wooded pleasure grounds which surround the lake beyond. The lake was dug in 1900 under the personal supervision of Gilbert. A promontory with an artificial rockwork cascade juts into the northern end of the water while to the south the surface is broken by an island. Cibber's statue of Charles II, rescued from Soho Square, stood in the gardens during Goodall's time; it was returned to the Square in the 1930s.

The pleasure grounds are enclosed to west and north by the earthworks of Grim's Ditch (scheduled ancient monument), alongside the garden edge of which lies a long narrow canal formed by the damming of the brook at the bottom of the Ditch. This canal is crossed by two bridges, one from the north side of the sunken garden on an axis with the west terrace, the other, dated 1875 and with rockwork beneath, beyond the west end of the sunken garden. The bridges are said to incorporate fragments removed from Harrow on the Hill parish church during its restoration. Both carry paths leading to the kitchen garden.

KITCHEN GARDEN

Established in the 1870s, the kitchen garden is situated directly to the north of the Ditch. A modern (late C20) hotel annexe has been built within the garden walls. To the east of the kitchen garden are stables and outbuildings built for Gilbert.

REFERENCES

Architecture 2, (1897), pp 355-368

The Reminiscences of Frederick Goodall, RA (1902)

International Architect 6, (1980), pp 45-47

A Goodman, Gilbert and Sullivan's London (1988)

B Cherry and N Pevsner, The Buildings of England: London 3 North West (1991), p 277

Maps

OS 6" to 1 mile: 1st edition published 1877

2nd edition published 1897

3rd edition published 1920

Description written: March 1999

Edited: June 2001