Westbrooke House in Leicestershire is a late Victorian property built in 1887 with six acres of gardens approached via a tree lined driveway of mature limes and giant redwoods.
The Walled Kitchen Garden is located a very short distance to the west of Westbrooke House. Near to the NE of Westbrooke House were stables attached to outbuildings. (O/S 1900 & 1926).
- Walled Kitchen Garden
The earliest portion of the WKG, A, (see new garden plan) is rectangular and orientated at an angle so that the corners are at the four points of the compass. A later additional plot, B, abuts the NW wall; it is largely rectangular with the W corner cut off.
During 1957-1977 the WKG was well cultivated. (MM). This is possibly confirmed by the post WW2 photograph AP where the two sections of the WKG appear cultivated with planting against the walls and two greenhouses – one in each section. At this date the planting just outside the SW and SE walls may have consisted of cultivated slips. Early maps suggest that slips may have been there from the outset. (O/S1900 & 1926).
Just prior to 2014 the WKG was grassed over and contained island flower beds – see photo. (PRM). Both sections of the WKG were completely redesigned in 2014.
Today the original rectangular WKG (A) is in the form of a pleasure garden and the additional section (B) is a kitchen garden with fruit and vegetables.
2014 Design for Westbrooke House WKG, Rebecca Winship. Section B is the upper portion of the design with curving left-hand element (now the kitchen garden). Section A is the lower rectangular pleasure garden (see full report).
Post WW2 Aerial Photograph of Westbrooke House WKG Photograph of Westbrooke House WKG just prior to redevelopment in 2014 Westbrooke House WKG showing contemporary pleasure garden and original central wall with stepped buttresses./strong> NW corner new kitchen garden at Westbrooke House showing boundary screening hedge, greenhouse, raised beds and cloches. Original NE Wall of the WKG at Westbrooke House showing the brick bond, cornice and coping.
Ariel view of the redeveloped WKG See our full research report on the Walled Kitchen Garden here:
Westbrooke House
- Photos