The Wall Surrounding The Walled Garden Of The Former Hook House

899/0/10033 HOOK PARK ROAD 06-NOV-07 The wall surrounding the walled garden of the former Hook House

II The walls of a walled garden dating probably to the late C18 and certainly present by 1868

PLAN: The garden wall forms a pentangle, with cruciform paths and a central raised bed as a focal point. The wall is lost for a short stretch on the south side where the orangery, late C20 Dormy House (not included in the listing) is. At the south west corner are the former stables now known as Carrington House and Golf House, and listed at Grade II as Old Dormy House.

DESCRIPTION: The walls of the walled garden stand to a height of about 3.5m and are of a local red brick in English bond pointed with lime mortar. The walls taper towards the top, and they are capped with a stone coping. On one section of the north wall are vents used for warming the wall via fires. The wall is absent at the southwest where Dormy House, Golf House and Carrington House have been built over its line.

The walled garden encloses an area of about 9375 sq m. (about 1 ha). The main paths form a cross dividing the garden into four segments, with a raised bed as the central focal point. The quarters of the garden are planted with fruit trees in the north west quadrant, a formal garden down to grass and shrubs in the north east quadrant, domestic gardens to the rear of the orangery, Dormy House, Golf House and Carrington House in the south west quadrant and the lawns and shrubs of Hook Park House in the south east quadrant. Carrington and Golf House are separately listed as 'Old Dormy House'. Dormy House is late C20 and not included in the listing; the rear wall of the orangery is part of the listed wall, but otherwise the structure has been rebuilt.

HISTORY: Hook House was built by William Hornby between 1785 and 1789. Hornby was Governor of Bombay from 1768 to 1784, and he modelled his country house on the Government House in Bombay. Unfortunately it was destroyed by fire sometime between 1903 and 1908.

The walled garden can be seen on the Ordnance Survey map of 1868 which shows the walls and garden paths in the same positions as today.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION The wall surrounding the walled garden of the former Hook House is designated at Grade II, for the following principal reasons: * The late C18 wall is of good quality, is intact including internal flues, and describes almost its total original extent. * The walls of the walled garden contribute to the understanding and group value of the ensemble of buildings which once formed part of Hook Park Estate including the coach house and courtyard walls which are already listed Grade II. * The garden retains its original plan and the ambience of a walled garden

SOURCES: Graham Rose, The Traditional Garden Book (1989) 57, 86, 144