Aims & Objectives

Page last updated: 12/09/18

Lyveden New Bield
The Re-Discovery Story
The Plan and its Rationale.

When starting this work to recover the Elizabethan garden, the plan was simply to enable visitors to roam around the garden, and experience the design and tranquillity of Sir Thomas’s vision.

After a short time, the objectives became clearer, and therefore definable:

  1. “The primary interest is uncovering and conserving the historic garden remains, and presenting them as close as possible to the time when they were left by Tresham in 1605. For the garden of such significance and archaeological importance, it was essential to maintain the visual form of the garden design that was in Tresham’s mind when it was created.”
  2. Regain management control of areas “currently leased to Barnwell Estates, and the ‘buffer’ area of land to the north of the terrace which was already owned by the National Trust, but was being ploughed right up to the terrace itself.”
  3. Later, acquire additional land in the immediate vicinity of the lodge and garden – this would allow re-instating the orchard, and should “ensure that the peace and tranquillity of the setting is not interrupted by activities” outside the control of the Trust. “For these wider landscape areas, ecological issues would be given a higher priority for the benefit of flora and fauna”, and to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for the visitors.
  4. Make available additional visitor facilities, and provide “information explaining what (it is believed) was Sir Thomas’ intention for his family, friends and other guests as they walked up from the Manor House, through the garden, to the Lodge.”
  5. Ensure that these changes do not damage or disturb the setting. The provision of any modern (post Elizabethan) facilities should ideally be out of sight of the Lodge and garden. Where it is necessary to provide facilities that cannot be hidden, such as seating, fences, notices, their design should be visually sympathetic to the historic garden.
  6. Undertake fund raising to enable these aims to be achieved.

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