Historic England, Grade II listed Gardens of Easton Lodge
In 1902, the Countess of Warwick commissioned Harold Peto to redesign the gardens at Easton Lodge. He brought a passion for Italianate, French and Japanese designs which included formal lawns, a sunken Italian garden, a yew walk, a tree-house, a glade and a Japanese garden. In 1922, a severe snowstorm wrecked both French style trelliage pergolas which were never rebuilt. When Daisy died in 1938, her son inherited the estate. During WWII, it was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence. The main house stood derelict and although the lawns and kitchen gardens were tended by two gardeners, the formal areas were completely abandoned. The army left in 1950 (along with the gardeners), and sadly nature took over (and the weeds!)
However, following the private purchase of the surviving *West Wing of Easton Lodge in 1971, restoration of the gardens began. In 2003, the owners established The Gardens of Easton Lodge Preservation Trust to continue with the restoration. The remaining estate (including the Gardens), were sold to Land Securities in 2004. The Trust were able to lease the Gardens from Land Securities in 2008 and retain the day-to-day care. They were opened to the general public in 2009. New owners moved into *Warwick House in 2010. They open their part of the gardens on public Open Days so that visitors can view the area around the house as well as the Gardens.
We would love to hear from local residents who have visited the stunning historical Gardens of Easton Lodge, the only ones to be found in East Anglia and one of Peto’s finest. Please email stopeastonpark@gmail.com and title subject “Easton Park Estate”.
