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Northborough Manor

Introduction

Features of Northborough Manor include a gatehouse, an avenue of weeping willows, a timber trellis walk and a vegetable garden.

In 1960 the waterway access to the south of the property was drained, earlier access to the village had been by the Roman canal (Car Dyke) at the east side of the village. In 1960 Roy Genders rented the manor and proceeded to restore the building. The layout of the garden immediately to the south of the hall is his design. He wrote over 300 gardening books and articles during his stay at Northborough.

Today the planting with low hedges of lavender and santolina around a formal layout is evocative of medieval garden layouts and the east garden has a sympathetic timber trellis walk for growing vines with a central urn. An avenue of weeping willows leads to a live willow seat by Andrew Basham near the vegetable and cutting garden.

Visitor Access, Directions & Contacts
History

This stone manor house and gatehouse range were built in 1334 by Roger de Norburgh, who was Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, and later became Lord High Treasurer of England under Edward III. In 1572 John Claypole built the dovecote; his grandson married Oliver Cromwell's favourite daughter, Elizabeth, when she was 16 years old and then came to live at Northborough Manor. In 1960, the house became a restaurant and recently the present owners have completed the restoration and brought the garden layout back to the plan established by Genders.

Features & Designations

Features

  • Avenue
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  • Walk
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  • Trellis
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  • Gatehouse
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  • Hedge
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Key Information

Type

Garden

Purpose

Ornamental

Principal Building

Domestic / Residential

Survival

Extant

Civil Parish

Northborough

References

Contributors

  • Cambridgeshire Gardens Trust