Italian Garden Structures including Statue of Ceres, Curb Stones, Entrance Piers, Gatepiers and Gates is a Grade II listed building in the Central Bedfordshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 10 January 1985. Garden structure.
Italian Garden Structures including Statue of Ceres, Curb Stones, Entrance Piers, Gatepiers and Gates
- WRENN ID
- far-rafter-ivory
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- Central Bedfordshire
- Constituency
- Mid Bedfordshire MP: Blake Stephenson (Con)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 10 January 1985
- Type
- Garden structure
- Address
- Italian Garden Structures including Statue of Ceres, Curb Stones, Entrance Piers, Gatepiers and Gates, Wrest Park, Silsoe
- OS grid reference
- TL 090 355
- Coordinates
- 52.0079, -0.41282
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Italian garden features structures including a statue of Ceres, curb stones, entrance piers, gatepiers, and gates. The garden is square and divided into quadrants by gravel paths. Each quadrant has ovolo moulded stone curbs that create a geometric pattern of flower beds arranged around a central circular bed. There are three entrances aligned with the paths: one from the conservatory to the east, and two from the gardens to the west and south.
To the west, there is a decorative wrought iron gate supported by two square section stone gate piers, each topped with vases on a square base. The southern entrance is flanked by similar vases on square bases set on stone plinths, which feature carved panels on their faces.
At the north end of the path opposite the southern entrance stands a statue of Ceres, symbolizing the earth's abundance. The statue depicts Ceres as a naked figure draped over her right shoulder, holding a bunch of flowers in her right hand while her left rests on a Cornucopia overflowing with fruit and flowers. Her weight is on her left leg, with her right leg slightly bent, giving her a gentle sway to the left. The statue is mounted on a stone pedestal with a moulded base, adorned with low relief decorations of scales surrounded by a strap and scroll motif, and this is set on a base of two square sections.
Local climate
Italian Garden Structures including Statue of Ceres, Curb Stones, Entrance Piers, Gatepiers and Gates sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 710 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 87% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 83% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 33 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 53% of listed buildings. Of these, 16 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
Sign in or create a free account to unlock:
- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- No related consent applications matched
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
Similar buildings
The closest matches to this building from all 493,000 UK listed buildings, by architecture, period and materials.
- 1 Formal Garden With Golden Gates, Manderston House
- 2 Wall Of, and Statues and Ornaments In, Long Garden, Cliveden
- 3 Walled Garden immediately West of Wrest Park House, including Linking Screen Wall
- 4 Statue of Ceres in Bridgeman's Amphitheatre
- 5 Walls Enclosing Italian Garden Together with Fountain
this building 1 similar nearby listed buildings
Nearby listed buildings
- Mermaid Basin at west side of South Parterre
- 2 Roman baths immediately in front of the terrace of Wrest Park House (to East and West)
- Wrest Park House and service block comprising pavilions, clock tower and the dairy
- Four Statuary Groups in the South Parterre (also known as the French Garden) south of Wrest House, depicting Aeneas and Anchises, the Abduction of Helen of Troy, Venus and Adonis and Meleager and Atalanta
- Railings, gates, piers and urns to south side of South Parterre (also known as the French Garden)
- Former Brewhouse, Link Block, Pump House and Fire Engine House Range in the Service Yard at Wrest Park House
- Walled Garden immediately West of Wrest Park House, including Linking Screen Wall
- Le Petit Trianon (also known as The Wendy House)
- Former Stable Block immediately east of Wrest Park House
- Orangery, Steps and Four Cherub Statues on Pedestals