 There
was a rare
opportunity to visit a much loved corner of Hertfordshire on the
afternoon of Sunday 7th April 2002 when the gardens at
Mackerye End House were be open for public viewing. The event was in aid of the Friends
of St Helen’s Church, Wheathampstead who work to raise funds for
the upkeep of their own ancient building.
There follows, below, the essence of some notes provided by the owners for the occasion. |
||
The earliest records  of a house at
Mackerye End date from 1307 when the Manor of Makeriesend was held
by William Makary. Makarys lived in the house through to the early part of the fifteenth
century. The house passed to the Bostocks when young Thomas
Makary died without an heir and the house was left to his sister, Margaret
and her husband Hugh Bostock - parents of the celebrated Abbot of St
Albans - John of Wheathampstead. The oldest surviving parts of the
house are around the massive south chimney stack dating from the reign of
Henry VII. The main structure is Elizabethan, and the tulip tree
(see inset picture) - originally one of a pair - was planted at that time and is now one
of the finest in the country.
|
||
| The 'dutch' gables, the main feature of the beautiful east elevation, were added in 1665. The windows were altered to their Georgian form in 1760 by Thomas Garrard. The delightful ceilings of the Drawing Room and Morning Room were put in during 1720. The Dining Room was completed by the Victorian architect, Norman Shaw. Modernisation and repairs, including complete reproofing, were carefully carried out in 1988 in order to both preserved the character for the past and create a comfortable family home with a delightful atmosphere. | ||
The features of the gardens, which are set within the
framework of formal yew hedges are; the carpets of miniature
daffodils, lent lilies, specimen camellias in the spring and
the wide main Summer border. The sweet chestnut trees in
the North Paddock are of enormous age.  Work
carried out since August 1988 when the present owners moved in to
Mackerye End, has included extensive clearance; the walled courtyard has
been levelled; the small pond relined; yew hedging, the framework of the
formal front gardens is being cut to level; the mixed hedges to the
boundaries have been cut and are now starting to thicken; shrubs and
climbers have been heavily cut back and selective pruning carried out to
restore shape; the paddock areas to the west of the house are now
enclosed by distinctive cross braced fencing. The enclosed
vegetable garden had been cleared and a mass of Delphiniums
'cleaned' and replanted. Peonies were moved in autumn 1989. Two
symmetrical areas have been formed to either side of the central
walkway, which is itself being replanted to provide additional flowers
for cutting throughout the year. These areas are now laid out to form a path
maze to the west 'a passage of thyme' and a 'tranquil' garden to the
east.
|
||
 Projects commenced in the
Millenium include the formal sundial at the front of the house and
the planting of a double avenue of maples and chestnuts in the new
parkland to the east. The main borders, badly invaded by ground elder, are being cleared and then
replanted & the badly decayed Elizabethan chimney stacks are being rebuilt. |
||
The
Edwardian setting for the swimming pool has been retained
and the pool itself has been completely remodelled to an 'original'
design of a formal pattern. The pool-house is a small Romanesque
Villa set in the woods. A beautiful mature Wisteria has
been retained to dress the facade of the building and over planted with clematis.
These areas of work fully absorbed our energy from 1988 to 1991 when the
next projects commenced; the levelling and enclosure of an area to the
north of the house within a pergola walk of vines and 'old fashioned'
roses and laying a village cricket square.