Durmast House


A Gertrude Jekyll garden brought back to life from dereliction, Durmast House’s restoration is almost complete, a century after this remarkable woman designed it for a member of her family.


Durmast House is near Burley, its name coming from the old name for the Durmast oak, Quercus sessiflora. Built around 1840, it was acquired by a cousin of Jekyll, Miss Nelly Baring (of the banking family) in 1907.


Not surprisingly she asked her cousin, by then aged 64 but at the height of her fame as a garden designer, to redesign the garden. The result was the typically elegant and long herbaceous border, hot and cool colour-themed borders that Jekyll had become synonymous with, and a formal rose garden edged with lavender, shaped like the two halves of a diamond.


Graham Stuart Thomas was brought in by the Trust in 1971 to transform the old walled kitchen garden into the National Collection of historic shrub roses. What visitors see today is due to his efforts: the deep yellow rose, Graham Stuart Thomas, is named after him.


Today Mottisfont is famous as the place to find the National Collection of ancestral species and 19th century rose cultivars, awarded by the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens.


But there is more to see at Mottisfont in quieter moments in June away from the glory of the roses. Geoffrey Jellicoe, the landscape architect, designed part of the garden in 1936, the paved walk to the north front and the yew octagon at the west end, from which an avenue of pleached limes runs north along a bank above a croquet lawn.


Near one side of the house is another connection to its 20th century history. The gardener and designer Norah Lindsay, another society lady, created the small formal parterre with its radiating lines in a classic pattern.


The beech circle was planted to the north west of the stables in the 1960s to replace a similar feature once growing around the old Ice House. Different eras have made their mark on Mottisfont’s long history.


During June there is an exhibition of water colourists’ work, during the season there is an open air theatre, there are guided walks and talks and estate walks.


Location: Mottisfont, near Romsey, Hampshire S051 OLP. Signposted off the A3057 Romsey to Stockbridge road, four and a half miles north of Romsey. Also signposted off the B3087 Romsey to Broughton road. Parking free.


Open until 31st October, 11am – 5pm. Open until 8pm from 7th June – 20th June, also shop, café and house at certain times, so check. Not open some Fridays – contact for details. Limited winter weekend openings of garden, shop and café, again contact for details.


Admission: free to NT members. Contact the number below for information on tickets and concessions for non- NT members. Dogs only allowed on the estate walks, but these go on for six miles.


Telephone: 01794 340757 Email: mottisfont@nationaltrust.org.uk 16


Durmast House – a Gertrude Jekyll garden brought back to life from dereliction


Following the Jekyll plans there is a new planting of old Ghent azaleas. There are many fine old trees, a Victorian rockery and an orchard. In spring there are masses of crocus, daffodils, erythroniums and fritillaria, with an open day for the public to see the spring bulbs.


Durmast is a garden that’s very suitable for a club visit, as a talk and tea are provided for groups wishing to view this historic garden returning to its former glory.


Location: Durmast House, Burley, Hampshire BH24 4AT. Five miles south east of Ringwood, off the Burley to Lyndhurst road, near the White Buck Hotel.


Open: 27th June, 2pm – 5pm. Visitors also welcome by appointment, coaches permitted, maximum 50.


Country Gardener


As with so many of these Edwardian gardens, upkeep was increasingly difficult during the 20th century and the garden design was in danger of being lost forever. But the present owners, Mr and Mrs P. E. G. Daubeney, started researching the Jekyll link and in 1999 obtained copies of the original plans, now stored at the University of California, Berkley.


This was the starting point for the renovation programme. The formal rose garden was planted with old roses such as Comte de Chambord (1860), and Rose de Meaux (1829) and the beds edged with lavender.


The herbaceous borders have been planted sympathetically to Jekyll’s original ideas on drifts of plantings and colour schemes. A new addition and not on the plans, the herb garden nevertheless is in keeping as fennel found near the vine in the kitchen garden gave a clue to the use of herbs.


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