After being closed for nearly 10 years and the benefit of £3.5 million of Heritage Lottery Fund grants, the restoration and refurbishment of the Tudor House and Gardens in Southampton Hampshire, is finally complete. This much-loved Museum re-opens its doors to the public this Saturday (30th). The House has been one of Southampton’s most important and much-loved historic buildings, since its construction at the end of the 15th century.
One of its many unique features is the symmetrical French ‘knot’ garden at the rear of the building. Knot gardens were a popular addition to many fine houses, palaces and country mansions during the Tudor period. This style of garden tended to be quite small, rectangular, edged with box, lavender, rosemary, germander or similar evergreen, tamed into stunning patterns. Gravel was often used to fill-in the gaps between the hedges. The knot garden would have provided a charming spectacle, especially when viewed from above. Garden designer Dr. Sylvia Landsberg re-planned the garden in the 1980s, to show what it may have looked like in the 1500s.
Karen Wardley, Collections Manager of Southampton City Council, discusses some of the hidden secrets revealed during the House’s restoration. Click Here for AV slideshow.
Come Step Back In Time 