Gardens of Easton Lodge Fundraising

Dear Stop Easton Park & Restore Easton Park Supporter,

We would like to inform you of a fund-raising effort by the Trustees of the Gardens of Easton Park Preservation Trust (GoELPT) to restore the balustrade surrounding the lily pond in Peto’s Italian Garden.

As you are undoubtedly aware the Gardens of Easton Lodge are situated on the Easton Park estate and have been an intrinsic and important part of the estate ever since the Countess of Warwick commissioned them early in the 20th century. The pond in the Italian Garden is particularly iconic and it would be wonderful to see it fully restored.

Although the GoELPT has different aims and is run separately from Stop Easton Park both organisations are staffed primarily by local residents who share similar views of saving countryside and heritage for everyone.

SEP Committee

December 2020

Dear Friend and Supporter

I am writing to request your support to help us restore the balustrade around the lilypond in Peto’s Italian Garden. We are very excited to be in a position to be able to undertake this project, which has been a long-held ambition of the Trust.  We are aiming to complete the restoration in time for the new season in 2021.

As you will know, for years now the lilypond in Peto’s Italian garden has had to be fenced off because the balustrade is unsafe. The original stone of the balustrade has deteriorated significantly since it was designed and built for the Countess of Warwick in 1902. The pond is about 100 feet long. Many of the balusters are broken, so the original stone rail has been left lying on the ground next to the pond. The project will involve replacing 91 of the 134 balusters and a few of the plinths and coping stones; repairing some sections; and then piecing it all back together again using traditional methods.  The work is to be carried out by Herringbone Restoration Limited who last year restored the steps down into the Garden. The balustrade is made from hamstone from the Ham Hill quarry in Somerset and will be repaired using stone from the same area in Somerset.

We are in the final stages of fundraising for the project, which is going to cost us just under £50,000. As you know, we raise funds for the Gardens from our gate entry fees from visitors, although as you will appreciate this has not been easy this year. Essex County Council has given us a Community Grant of £4000 and we have received £3,454 from the Co-Op, from our supporters who shop there. We have applied for a grant from Uttlesford District Council. We are now giving our friends and supporters the opportunity to help fund this restoration of the most iconic element in the Gardens, by funding a baluster at a cost of £250 or by making a donation.