Walls steps and paved surfaces of the sunken garden near Carrow Abbey

MATERIALS: grey stone and soft red bricks.

PLAN: the garden has a symmetrical oval plan, bisected by cruciform paths meeting in the centre, and with a long path and flight of steps to the east.

EXTERIOR: the walls in the garden are built from soft red bricks with deep stone coping, and are surmounted by distinctive multi-faceted ball finials at the returns. The steps are of the same stone, as is the irregularly-shaped paving throughout.

The main approach to the garden is a grand flight of six stone steps up, leading to four steps down, into the sunken area. The steps then lead onto a stone path to the centre of the garden, marked by an octagonal plinth and planter (the planter is possibly not original). At this point, paths from the north and south sides of the garden converge, leading from smaller steps set in the north and south walls. All the paths contain small iron drainage grilles. At the west end of the garden is a lead water feature with a shell spout which formerly fed into a small pool. On each side of the pool, steps lead up onto a terrace or stage which has a high, curved, sheltering wall behind.