Rosemary Verey OBE | Tuscan Temple & Grotto at Barnsley House
My fountain, the Frog fountain, remember, Simon Verity designed it, it became a focal point at the end of a long grassy walk, which led from the Gothick summerhouse or from the pond at the other end of the garden in front of the Tuscan temple.
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The
Tuscan Temple
The Tuscan temple came from Trafford Park where it had been built about 1770. We were told it was falling down and David kept suggesting to the owners that they should repair it. But instead of rebuilding it they very kindly gave it to David. This was the Cook trust and we will forever be grateful to them. David hired a lorry, some tough gentlemen from the labour exchange and he went and dismantled it and brought it back here. It was very right of him to do it. I think this is one of the points that when people ask me, What is the difference between women and men gardeners?
Men gardeners will do things like moving temples. I wouldnt have done that and I don't think he would have been all that good at designing borders!
But anyway, they put it up and then they discovered that it was exactly the same width as the pond we had put down there in 1954. I think we put the temple there in 1962 as far as I can remember.
When we put it there originally, the back and the sides inside were roughcast stone. Then the moment came when David decided that this should be plastered over and be painted white, which is much better. When you are standing at the other side at the end where the fountain is and you look up towards it, youve got this lovely glowing white and on sunny days you can see ripples and the reflection of the water on the back. Whatever you are doing in the garden, remember that you must pay attention to detail.
THE GROTTO
When I moved into this little house after giving the main house to my son Charles and his family, I had no space for my big bookcase, which was in my library. So we had to block in this wall and that wall. We then had to open up the other side. Having opened it up I discovered what was there. It was where all the old oil tanks were kept and everything else that we wanted to hide. So we decided that this is where we could have a conservatory.
What was to be the back wall of the conservatory was always damp. I never quite know why, but I then thought to myself that thats the place for water falling down.Simon Verity came again and he devised doing that wonderful grotto. Together with some abalone shells that came in my hand luggage from the West Coast of America, and a lot of stonework from an old 18th century grotto, it was completed by Diana Reynell.
Simon had the idea of having three different levels -which is a good idea. In summer time it helps to keep things cool and it is piped onto the mains, which provides the water for watering. Unfortunately it doesnt work very well because probably 10 or 12 years ago or even more, 2 of my grand children at Christmas time said,
don't come into the conservatory, were doing something.
So anyway when I got there they had filled the grotto with candles and the candles had melted a lot of the ducts and rubber tubing, so there we were. And there we are.
Rosemary Verey (Author, Garden Designer And Gardening Guru To Prince Charles) At Her Internationaly Famous Garden At Barnsley House In Gloucestershire Talks to Peter J May About Her Life In Relation To Water Gardens.
Rosemary Verey was a famous British garden designer and writer (born Dec. 21, 1918, Chatham, Kent, England and died May 31, 2001, London, England)