CORNWALL GARDENS TRUST

Dear Members

On 8 December 2009, the Cornwall Gardens Trust duly celebrated the fact that it was 21 years young and enjoyed a Christmas Lunch ably organised by Jean Marcus at Trelissick where we were invited by Steven Desmond, our guest lecturer, to ponder over the antecedents of the old garden at Godolphin. Not only was the occasion an opportunity to meet members of other organisations but we were very pleased that Sally Walker, Association of Gardens Trusts’ Chairman and a Cornish woman, was one of our guests. Sally reminded us that we belong to a wider organisation which acts at a national level as a significant pressure group against inappropriate development and promotes the importance of historic gardens and landscapes. In fact, the AGT is currently publicising an initiative, backed by both Natural England and English Heritage, to recruit a Historic Landscape Project Officer. This appointment will in time support Trust volunteers, helping them to increase their research skills and knowledge, and thus contribute more effectively to the conservation of historic landscapes in the future.

This is not all that the AGT has achieved recently. The impressive Parks and Gardens UK database, a dedicated web source which, to quote Rachael Stamper, Project Manager, provides ‘everything you could possibly want to know’ on 6,000 historic parks, gardens and designed landscapes – and much more – is now available free to all at www.parksandgardens.ac.uk. This remarkable and professional enterprise, implemented at York University and funded by Heritage Lottery money, has been made possible by hard work on the part of many County Gardens Trust members, including volunteers from Cornwall, who have provided much of the material. It is a ‘living resource’ so that existing records can be added to or improved, and new ones can be created. The Chairman has also indicated that there is to be a new development plan for the Association about which members will soon be consulted.

The prospect of saving historic designed landscapes but on a more local and intimate scale brings me on to something that I have become aware of recently. In my case, enjoying garden visits organised very efficiently by Jill Carpenter and then planning the 2010 garden visits with Jill’s help, has left me with a huge respect for the garden owners who either rescue historic gardens from oblivion or create new gardens – and sometimes both. This dedication is even more important as sadly some fine Cornish gardens are disappearing through change of ownership or because the owners are no longer in a position to carry on.

We are indeed privileged to be invited to visit these gardens on which the owners have spent so much time, energy and money. It is invidious to pick out one garden and I was not able personally to visit all the 2009 gardens, but I do recall the sheer hard work which the owners of Northwood Gardens have devoted to creating this very large garden out of a difficult terrain and to putting their stamp on it. Then there were the Treseders at Garvinack literally hacking out hidden species of magnolias and camellias from what seemed to me to be virgin forest, or Mr Thomas at Stithians freely sharing his horticultural knowledge with us as he led us through his lovely grounds. Not only do we leave these gardens fortified by excellent hospitality, but also inspired and full of admiration for what has been achieved.

Now all that there is left to do is to thank Trish Gibson for her hard work in compiling The Journal and as usual there should be something for everyone: from a very interesting article by Peter Herring adding to our archaeological knowledge of the Pencarrow Rounds to a personal account by student, Jennie Pina, on taking up gardening as a career – and lots more. So open the pages of The Journal and have a good read.

Dr Angela Stubbs