Fernery Wall

Fernery wall built c.1864.

MATERIALS: roughly squared and coursed stone rubble with the mortar set back from the face, and terracotta fern bricks.

PLAN: it is located in the north-eastern part of the fernery and forms a retaining wall c.5m in length.

EXTERIOR: the fernery wall is rustic in character. It has flat stone coping and a central, round arched alcove, the arch ring formed of stones with roughly chamfered edges which together form a rustic chevron pattern. Set within the stonework are fifteen Watsonian Patent Fern Bricks, five within the alcove and five either side. These are approximately square and have a circular recess with a shelf for a detachable bowl or pot and a hole for drainage. None of these bowls or pots survives but it is known from contemporary catalogues that they took the form of a shell which partly projected beyond the vertical surface of the wall. The upper part of the surround is embellished with an inverted dentilation and dogtooth pattern, and the spandrels are decorated with an incised floral pattern. They contain small roundels with ‘AD’ and ‘1860’ in raised lettering, and the corresponding roundels in the bottom corners have ‘WP’ and ‘FB’ (standing for Watsonian Patent Fern Brick).

The wall has been extended by approximately 3m at the north-western end using a combination of rubble and roughly dressed stone.