Garden Walls, Paving And Steps On The South Front Of Hestercombe House

The garden walls, paving, and steps on the south front of Hestercombe House were constructed between 1904 and 1909 and restored from 1973 to 1975. Designed by Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll for the Honorable EWB Portman, these features utilize local slate from a nearby quarry, laid flat to create the appearance of being set without mortar, along with Ham stone dressings and millstones. The site slopes away from the south front of Hestercombe House, with the southern boundary marked by a pergola walk. To the east and west, there are water gardens flanking a grand platform set below the existing terrace of the south front, with a rose garden to the west and circular walls forming a rotunda with a central pool to the east. A flight of double steps leads down to the Orangery, with additional steps leading up to the Dutch garden beyond. This garden has been described by C. Hussey as "an unsurpassed example of his (Lutyens) garden art."