The walled garden at Markshall Estate, Essex
A modern garden designed as the flagship visitor attraction within a mature arboretum
Location Essex, UK
The estate’s historic walled garden possesses a grand yet subtle beauty. Enclosed on three sides by four-metre-tall, 18th-century brickwork, the boundary opens dynamically on its southern side to overlook an expansive lake.
To drive visitor engagement, the trustees commissioned a design that would act as a focal point within the wider arboretum.
BHS LA responded to this dramatic setting by creating an immersive landscape built around a sense of discovery.
Set behind an immense 150-metre-long hornbeam hedge, four distinct garden rooms were established to celebrate the microclimate of the sloping, south-facing topography.
The northern boundary features a spectacular 150-metre double herbaceous border - the longest in Essex. Plants were selected to be climate-change resilient and tolerant of Essex's dry climate, which is closer to the Mediterranean Basin precipitation than average UK rainfall.
The planting design emphasises mid to late-flowering perennials, grasses and Mediterranean shrubs that celebrate the winter with foliage and seed heads.
Client Marks Hall Estate Trust
Planning Authority Braintree District Council
Status Completed - 2003