Top: (Image 2) Reinforced masonry haha
Bottom: (Image 3) Brick clad haha
rolling Wealden woodland and billowing hawthorn hedgerows beyond. The sculptural oak bench sits on a belvedere leading out to the oak woodland and demarcates the garden edge whilst framing the view beyond and referencing the local vernacular and traditional crafts.
The clear boundary between garden and fields began to disappear in the 1700s with the sunken ditch or ‘ha-ha’ which became popular after being used by Beaumont at Levens Hall in 1690 and Charles Bridgeman at Stowe in 1740, where a 4 mile brick ha-ha established this formal feature as a key transition from formal gardens to the landscape movement.
The traditional ha-ha forms a barrier that cattle and sheep cannot cross on one side and that cannot be seen on the other (hence the exclamation of surprise or ha-ha! When the land falls away). The ha-ha is not seen from the house but may be seen from the landscape and so the finish should be taken into consideration. It will have a structural element and should be designed to retain the correct weight of soil above it, with more strength needed if there is a house or pool above, for example, and with footings which will depend on the load bearing ability of the soil.
landscape setting. A metal army of electricity pylons might be marching across the best view or a hideous building might have gained planning permission in the middle of a key prospect. With a good design team, funds and correct permissions these are things which may be reversed, rectified or masked, and the long views and gracious setting can often be returned.
My visit to a new garden or estate will always start with the setting: where the sun rises and sets, prevailing winds, the underlying geology and soils, natural flora and landform, and strategic views. The idea of prospect and
bringing the view in as a part of the landscape garden was popularised by William Kent who Walpole described as having ‘leapt the fence and saw that all nature was a garden.’ Crucial to achieving this look is the judicious framing and opening up of key views, both on arrival and looking out from the house.
Trees are a wonderful way to frame a view and by choosing the species carefully they can form a formal frame or a softer transition to the countryside beyond. In the garden below I planted an allee of crabapples Malus hupehensis underplanted with Spirea arguta to be a gently mannered reflection of the
The soil conditions will dictate the construction. A traditional ha-ha may have been built as a dry stone wall for example if the conditions are right. A cost effective way of building a new ha-ha is to use reinforced masonry construction such as hollow concrete blocks with concrete infill and reinforcing bars down the centre. In image 2 the concrete foundation was laid to engineers’ details to cope with the height of wall and the hollow blocks were then reinforced and grout filled. Behind the wall vertical drainage membrane and perforated land drain are placed to cope with hydrostatic pressure and drainage off the land above. This is connected into the land drainage system and water is taken off site via a shallow swale planted for wildlife.
Continued >> Listed Heritage Magazine September/October 2018 35
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152
