18th Century Water Gardens to Return to Former Splendour

Work is now underway to restore one of Britain's finest baroque water gardens, located in Bushy Park and due to open to the public for the first time in summer 2009.

The Royal Parks is restoring the Gardens with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Crown Estate and other supporters, as part of a major programme of improvements to Bushy Park.

The Restoration is being informed by findings from a team of archaeologists, who uncovered and recorded the structure earlier this year. Most of the original stonework and bricks are being reused as part of the restoration, and construction is due for completion in the autumn. The structure and hydrology will then be monitored, soft landscaping given time to settle, and planting will begin.

The restoration of the Water Gardens builds on research undertaken in the early 1990s by the Friends of Bushy and Home Park. In 1997 they formed the Bushy Park Water Gardens Trust with the aim of restoring the gardens and opening them to the public. The Royal Parks have built upon the invaluable work carried out and took the project forward from 2001.

The private Upper Lodge Water Gardens were built in the early 18th century by Charles Montagu, the 1st Earl of Halifax as a recreational garden and were later used by the Ministry of Defence for research into submarine technology between 1946 and 1994. The site then fell into disrepair through silting and other developments and has remained closed to the public.

Greg McErlean, Director of Major Projects for The Royal Parks said: "It has been enormously exciting to see the Water Gardens reappear from under decades of alterations, overgrowth and silting. In 2009, for the first time, they will be open to the public and will surely become one of the highlights of a visit to the magnificent Bushy Park."

Media enquiries:

For further information or images please contact:
Katy Murray on 020 7298 2128 or kmurray@royalparks.gsi.gov.uk
Lucy Skipper on 020 7298 2145 or lskipper@royaloparks.gsi.gov.uk

Notes to Editors

About the Bushy Park Restoration Project:

• The Bushy Park Restoration Project is a £7.2 million project to restore formal gardens and buildings, as well as provide better facilities for visitors, improved habitats for wildlife and plants, and develop a more comprehensive community education programme. As part of the project, new and resurfaced paths have been laid, repairs and improvements made to entranceways, and the de-silting and restoration of water bodies completed. Extensive replanting has taken place at the Pheasantry Plantation of the Woodland Gardens, and work to improve facilities at the Stockyard Education and Volunteer Centre has started. The construction of a new welcome centre is also underway.
• The Architects for the restoration of the Upper Lodge Water Gardens are Land Use Consultants and the work is being undertaken by English Landscapes.
• The Crown Estate have leased the land to the Royal Parks to enable it to be opened to the Public. They have also provided significant partnership funding for its restoration and maintenance.
• Archaeological findings - a team of archaeologists uncovered and recorded the original structure, including the original cascade, southern and northern walls and alcoves. The southern wall was badly disturbed so the northern wall and remains of the alcove have provided the best information on the 18th century structure. The team discovered an unexpected brick path at the base of the cascade which would probably have been used for maintenance of the Water Gardens. The findings of the archaeology team will be recorded and held by English Heritage and some of the original stonework archived by the Museum of London.

About the Water Gardens:

• The Water Gardens would have been a real status symbol for the Earl of Halifax. A painting held by the Royal Collection gives a clear view of how the gardens looked at this time, with upper and lower pools connected by a stepped cascade in the centre and alcoves to either side. Planting at the time would probably have included cedar of Lebanon, introduced to Britain in the 17th century, laurels, oaks and other British natives.

About Bushy Park:

• Bushy Park to the south west of London, has a history stretching back at least 4,000 years, firstly as a settlement and farming land, then as a park for hunting deer. The park was also the site of a US base in the Second World War from which Eisenhower planned the invasion of Europe. Today, Bushy Park offers a unique open space for the community. Covering 445 hectares (1099 acres), the Park is home to around 320 free-roaming wild deer and countless plant and wildlife species. The Park combines 'wild' open spaces with formal avenues of trees and historic buildings, sporting grounds and a playground.

About The Friends of Bushy Park:

• For further information on The Friends of Bushy Park please visit: www.bushy.org.uk

About The Royal Parks:

• The Royal Parks is an executive agency of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
• The Royal Parks are: Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James's Park. For further information please visit: www.royalparks.org.uk