Pulhamite Rockery, Dunorlan Park

The Pulhamite rockery, located within Dunorlan Park, was constructed between 1854 and 1864 by the firm of James Pulham for Henry Reed. The rockery is built from sandstone and Pulhamite, an artificial stone created by James Pulham, and is situated to the north of a meandering path and to the south east of the terrace. It takes the form of a naturalistic composition approximately 40 feet long and 4 feet high. At the eastern end, an island section incorporates a planting compartment at its summit.

The site has a history dating back to 1823 when John Ward, a partner of Decimus Burton, acquired Calverley Farm and created a lake. Henry Reed purchased the farm in 1854, demolishing the farmhouse and building the Italianate-style Dunorlan house. The grounds were designed by Robert Martock, with James Pulham commissioned to create the rockery, a cascade, a fountain (made of Pulhamite and terracotta), and potentially to alter the lake. This scheme was completed in 1864, and the rockery is shown on the 1867 Ordnance Survey map. The property passed to the Collins family in 1874 and later to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in 1945. The main house was destroyed by fire in 1946 and subsequently demolished in 1958. In 2003-4, a substantial restoration of Dunorlan Park was undertaken.

James Pulham (c.1820-98) developed Pulhamite using cement, combined with clinker and scrap brickwork, to create artificial boulder-like formations that mimicked natural rock. This technique produced convincingly varied artificial rock types, used for rockeries and a range of ornamental features, including classically styled fountains. Pulham’s works were a defining feature of many Victorian gardens.