Garden Walls And Features Of The Terraced Garden (Including Ivy Cottage) Approximately 30 Metres North Of Groombridge Place

The garden walls and features of the terraced garden, including Ivy Cottage, are located approximately 30 meters north of Groombridge Place. This formal garden was likely established in the second half of the 17th century and has undergone several changes since its creation. The garden is terraced and enclosed on three sides—north, west, and east—by tall walls constructed from various materials. The lower section of the west wall and much of the east wall are made of brick, while the remainder of the west wall is sandstone, with the lower part being coursed and the upper part more rubbly. The north wall consists of large blocks of sandstone, partly topped with brick, and features large stone buttresses on the inside. A central gateway with square section piers and ball finials is also present.

The terraces are supported by sandstone revetments, and paths ascend via a series of sandstone steps. The garden includes various features such as stone urns, and notably, on the top terrace, there is a probable 18th-century fountain and a sundial. The sundial has a sandstone baluster-like stem and a brass dial inscribed with the name of Nathaniel Witham of London, dated 1716. Ivy Cottage, situated on the west side, was created by enlarging a late 17th-century garden pavilion. It is now a two-room cottage facing west, dating from the 19th century and renovated around 1980. The southern room is an extension, built of Flemish bond brick with decorative burnt headers on the front, while the remainder is timber-framed and clad with peg-tile. The cottage has a two-window front featuring various 19th and 20th-century casements, and the doorway to the left contains a possibly 18th-century two-panel door. The left section is the original pavilion, which is square in plan, two storeys high, constructed of Flemish bond red brick with decorative burnt headers, and has a peg-tile roof. It features a chamfered plinth and a flat band at the first floor level.

These garden features are significant to the visual appearance of Groombridge Place.