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On a sunny afternoon in May I had the pleasure of a bluebell walk and cream tea at the Forgotten Gardens of Lewtrenchard. The walk through the delightful grounds took a leisurely twenty minutes and in that time I began to appreciate the prodigious effort taken to restore this woodland garden.
One unexpected outcome of research by local historians into the life of Sabine Baring-Gould, the renowned Victorian author and scholar who was Squire and Parson of Lewtrenchard from 1881 to 1924, was the discovery just to the north of Lewtrenchard Manor Hotel, (which, as Lew House, was the ancestral home of Sabine) of a much neglected and densely overgrown valley in Barton wood, known locally as ‘The Glen’. Once a charming and quite extraordinary Edwardian woodland garden as evidenced by the remains of ponds, walls, an imposing waterfall, walkways, slate steps, viewing areas and a grotto.
Professional gardener, Robert Stemson, and amateur local historian, Ron Wawman, first met in July 2006 at the Open Garden Day of Lewtrenchard Manor Hotel. Rob and Ron soon discovered that they both had the same romantic dream – the restoration of the forgotten garden. There and then they determined to make this dream come true. They brought together a group of enthusiastic volunteers who, in 2007, set themselves up as a charitable association, known as The Friends of the Forgotten Garden of Lewtrenchard.
The Friends, with the generous assistance of the Baring-Gould Corporation, have leased the garden area, comprising about 1½ acres, together with the surrounding ancient bluebell woods, amounting to approximately a further 5 acres. Their aim was to preserve and advance the heritage of the Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould, who created the garden, to restore the man-made structures, conserve the woodlands together with their wildlife and rescue the lost Holy Well. Through a combination of perseverance, an 1884 map, a 1913 family bible entry, a 1914 photograph, a sentence in Sabine’s Early Reminiscences, and some logical deduction, the Friends at last discovered and, in the autumn of 2007, excavated the site of the well. In October 2013 a simple new stone and slate housing was erected over the Holy Well by Tony Worth's craftsmen.
Brian Wilkinson was one of the original volunteers and is now the project manager. He explained how just ten years ago the woodland was dark and dense, entirely overgrown with brambles and weeds, nothing like the beautiful open situation today. The friends have taken out much of the old wood and planted many native tree specimens, shrubs and flowers. They are environmentally friendly; the wood is herbicide and pesticide free. On the third Saturday of every month, April to October, there is a working party at the garden to help with ongoing projects to restore and maintain the Forgotten Garden, together with its associated buildings and features.
The friends have made the garden and woodlands available as a community resource for educational and recreational purposes for the benefit of parishioners of Lewtrenchard and others. Perhaps you might like to join the friends or just visit and appreciate this peaceful and reflective place.
For more information please visit the website www.forgottengarden.co.uk
Nichola Williams