Introduction
Orchardleigh has formal gardens and pleasure grounds of around four hectares, dating mainly from the 19th century. The pleasure grounds feature a main grass walk with a vista through a yew hedge to the park. There are also winding gravel walks and groves. The pleasure grounds are set within a landscaped deer park of around 325 hectares, dating from medieval times. The park has a lake formed from a stream. The house is now a venue for weddings and accommodation, and is open to patrons only.
The following is from the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. For the most up-to-date Register entry, please visit The National Heritage List for England (NHLE):
Location, Area, Boundaries, Landform and Setting
Formal gardens and pleasure grounds of around 4 hectares, mainly dating back to the 19th century, with work in 1856 by a Mr Page, and a landscaped deer park of some 325 hectares dating from the medieval period onwards.
Principle Building
The house, built between 1855 and 1858 by T H Wyatt, replaced a mansion south of the church which was demolished in 1856. The pleasure grounds feature a main grass walk with a vista through a yew hedge to the park. There are also winding gravel walks and groves.
The park has a lake formed from a stream. There is a 13th-century church on the island, which was restored in 1862 by Wyatt and in 1879 by Sir Gilbert Scott. There are scattered trees and plantations with Orchardleigh and Buckland Woods to the north-west. A wooded drive leads to the house from Gloucester Lodge at Lullington, which has a pre-1816 castellated and turreted gateway.
The drive also passes Temple Lodge. There are Tudor Lodges to the south dating back to around 1825-30. The remaining parkland lies within farmland north of the house.
Orchardleigh is now a gated and family owned country estate.
- Visitor Access, Directions & Contacts
Telephone
01373 472550Website
https://www.orchardleigh.netAccess contact details
Orchardleigh is a gated and family owned country estate and wedding venue.
More information about Orchardleigh can be found on their website.
- History
Period
Victorian (1837-1901)
- Associated People
- Features & Designations
Designations
The National Heritage List for England: Register of Parks and Gardens
- Reference: GD1341
- Grade: II*
Features
- House (featured building)
- Earliest Date:
- Latest Date:
- Walk
- Description: Main grass walk.
- Hedge
- Description: Yew hedge.
- Walk
- Description: Winding gravel walks.
- Grove
- Lake
- Stream
- Religious, Ritual And Funerary Features
- Description: There is a 13th-century church on the island, which was restored in 1862 by Wyatt and in 1879 by Sir Gilbert Scott.
- Earliest Date:
- Latest Date:
- Plantation
- Drive
- Description: A wooded drive leads to the house from Gloucester Lodge.
- Gate Lodge
- Description: Gloucester Lodge at Lullington has a pre-1816 castellated and turretted gateway.
- Gate Lodge
- Description: Temple Lodge.
- Gate Lodge
- Description: Tudor Lodges to the south dating from around 1825-30.
- Earliest Date:
- Latest Date:
- Key Information
Type
Estate
Purpose
Ornamental
Principal Building
Commercial
Period
Victorian (1837-1901)
Survival
Extant
Hectares
329
Open to the public
Yes
Civil Parish
Lullington
- References
References
- Pevsner, N. {The Buildings of England: North Somerset and Bristol} (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1958) The Buildings of England: North Somerset and Bristol
- Sales, J., {West Country Gardens} (Gloucester: Alan Sutton, 1980) West Country gardens : the gardens of Gloucestershire, Avon, Somerset and Wiltshire
- {English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest}, (Swindon: English Heritage, 2008) [on CD-ROM] Historic England Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest
- Holme, C. (ed), {The gardens of England in the southern and western counties} (London: The Studio, 1907), plates 98-101 The Gardens of England in the southern and western counties
- Nicholas Pearson Associates {Orchardleigh Parkland Plan} (2006) Orchardleigh Parkland Plan
- Related Documents