Knot Garden
YAC Attack 144! Knot Garden
Knot gardens were popular in the late 16th century. They were new to England, and were built with designs from Europe. They showed the owner to be a rich and influential man who loved to travel. Fiona Sanders, Garden Supervisor from Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire describes the redevelopment of the knot gardens at the castle…
The Elizabethan garden at Kenilworth Castle was built by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, for the three week visit of Queen Elizabeth I and her Court in July 1575. The garden was lost when the castle was destroyed after the Civil War. But we do know what it looked like because a detailed account was written at the time by Robert Langham, a cloth merchant from London. He described a twelve-foot high terrace, carved wooden arbours and symmetrical knot gardens of sweet-smelling flowers and fruit, surrounding an eight-sided white marble fountain carved with scenes from Greek mythology.
Recently English Heritage decided to redevelop Dudley’s spectacular garden. They used the description from Langham’s letter, but more evidence was needed. It was time to call in the archaeologists!
Archaeology
A team from English Heritage and Northamptonshire Archaeology, lead by top garden archaeologist Brian Dix, proved the accuracy of Langham’s letter. They found the octagonal base of the fountain along with chips of white Italian marble and a gravel drainage channel. They also found the original castle wall foundations and part of a carved stone balustrade (a decorative stone fence used along the raised terrace).
Making the New Garden
After the archaeological work was completed in 2007, the builders moved in. The terrace was made using modern plastic reinforcing to hold the massive amount of soil hard against the castle keep. Next, the intricate knots of low box hedging were constructed in the four flowerbeds around the fountain. These were made with wooden sides to keep their shapes. Their designs came from gardening catalogues of the time.
The aviary was made from local stone to match the castle, with leaded jewels on the carved wooden structure on top. Birds for the aviary included Asian Pheasant and African Guinea Fowl, common imported birds at the time.
The arbours were made from oak, and the unusual obelisks were supposed to be carved from porphyry (Egyptian granite). However, research showed these would probably have been also made of oak and painted to give a stone effect!
Elizabethan Plants
Robert Dudley thought only high-status plants from far-off places were good enough for a garden fit for his Queen. Our researchers put together a list of plants available in 1575. Most exotic of all was the Marigold from Mexico. Brought to Europe by the Spanish, they only reached England in 1572. Using such a bold new plant with their vivid orange flowers would have been a real talking point in Elizabethan England. Other flowers that we used include Carnations, and sweet-smelling Violets, Cowslips and Stocks. Elizabeth’s own Rose was the Sweet Briar; we have used it for hedges. Tall Holly and Bay trees provide structure whilst Sweet Williams, Columbines, and Maltese Crosses give colour for our July flowering garden.
Langham mentions fruits too, and we have included old varieties of Apple, Pear and Cherry. Wild strawberries line some of the beds. They are the fruit of love, perfect for a unique garden built by a rich man for a powerful woman he hoped to marry!
ACTIVITY: Find out how to make you own knot garden.
