A beautifully illustrated celebration of the sumptuous garden at Melbourne Hall in Derbyshire
Explore the famous historical gardens of Melbourne Hall, widely considered one of the most treasured historical gardens in England.
The garden is admired for its natural tunnel made up of the sweeping branches of an ancient yew tree, as well as its wrought iron arbour created by Robert Bakewell (known as the ‘Birdcage’, which made Bakewell famous, but also left him penniless).
There have been few radical alterations to the gardens since the early 18th century. However, in the earlier part of the 20th century, extensive restoration was carried out. Now home to Lord and Lady Ralph Kerr, the garden remains a beautifully kept treasure. Lady Kerr has developed the garden and her eye for colour and detail means that the Melbourne Garden is a haven of delightful and unusual specimen trees, shrubs and herbaceous borders. Although still very much an 18th-century garden, the new planting schemes have introduced greater botanical interest.
Covering both the early history and more recent developments under its current owners, this stunning book contains numerous specially commissioned images by renowned garden photographer Andrea Jones, which show this spectacular garden through the seasons.
Arvustused
...perhaps the most beautiful book to cross my desk this year is Melbourne Hall Garden by Jodie Jones, hauntingly photographed by Andrea Jones... Jodie is a marvellous writer, lucid and engaging, whose deep dives into the massive Melbourne Hall archive prove full of treasures. * The Spectator * "This is a spectacular book about a historically important garden, bravely and sensitively brought back to life." * House and Garden *
Foreword by Robin Lane Fox
Map
Introduction
1. In the Beginning
Francis Bacon on Early Seventeenth-Century Gardens
2. Thomas Coke: The Man and His World
The Kitchen Garden and Glass Houses
3. Garden Design in Thomas Cokes Day
4. Thomas Coke and the Making of His Garden
The Visitors
5. The Melbourne Statues and Jan van Nost
Melbourne, Australia
6. Water and the Work of George Sorocold
Estate Maintenance
7. Wrought Iron and Robert Bakewell
Thomas Cook, the Melbourne Travel Agent
8. The Later Years
Later Visitors
9. A New
Chapter
The Winter Garden
10. Painterly Plantings
Gertrude Jekyll on Artistic Border Design
11. Gardening with Trees
12. Future Plans
Jodie Jones is formerly the Features Editor of Gardeners' World Magazine, Desk Editor at The Daily Telegraph and Deputy Editor of Gardens Illustrated.Andrea Jones is one of the world's foremost garden photographers, having built up an international reputation for her photographs of landscape architecture, gardens and plants. Her work has illustrated several books, including Plantworlds (2005) and At West Dean (2018).
Andrea's collection of work forms the stock library Garden Exposures and appears in the international press including Gardens Illustrated, Garden Design (USA), House and Garden and The Daily Telegraph. She has also been the recipient of various awards including an RHS Gold Medal and Best Portfolio of Show in 2024. Based in Scotland, Andrea is a Fellow of the RSA and exhibits her work around the world having had several successful solo exhibitions in both the UK and US. You can see more on her website https://www.andreajones.co.uk/.
