What do Colman’s Mustard, Capability Brown and Blackadder have in common? As we discovered, rather unexpectedly, the answer is Gatton Park.
Cuppa & Connect got out and about on Saturday 19 September, thanks to our wonderful Arts Facilitator, Sam, who arranged a very special visit for us.
We were incredibly lucky to be treated to a private guided tour of Gatton Park with Louise Miller, Chief Executive of The Gatton Trust – and what a guide she was.
Having been part of Gatton for 25 years, working in a variety of roles along the way, Louise knows the estate inside out – and her passion for the place is infectious. With an extraordinary knowledge of its history, gardens and landscape, and plenty of fascinating stories along the way, she brought Gatton to life as we wandered from the Hall and its sweeping Capability Brown views to hidden gardens, ancient trees and some wonderfully unexpected corners.
And for those of us who weren’t quite up to tackling every hill on foot, there was an added bonus: the very welcome golf buggy. A chance to hitch a ride, enjoy the scenery and save our legs for the next stop was gratefully received!
What followed was far more than a garden tour. There were rotten boroughs and political intrigue, a devastating fire, Italian marble, Japanese gardens, extraordinary trees – and quite a few moments that made us think, “Really? That happened here?”
Here are just some of the stories we discovered along the way…
The ‘Town Hall’ – Politics, Rotten Boroughs and Blackadder
Gatton Park’s old ‘Town Hall | Photo by by Viktoryia
One of Gatton’s smallest buildings comes with one of its most colourful stories.
The rather grandly named Town Hall is actually a tiny classical temple, built in 1765 – its six elegant columns are cast iron, supporting a wooden roof. It recalls a time when Gatton was one of Britain’s most notorious rotten boroughs.
Despite having only a handful of voters, Gatton had the right to return two MPs to Parliament. In practice, ownership of the estate brought considerable political influence with it – so much so that campaigner William Cobbett once described Gatton as a “very rascally spot of earth”. The Great Reform Act of 1832 finally brought Gatton’s days as a parliamentary borough to an end, but the little Town Hall remains – complete with an urn commemorating the demise of the borough.
And there’s a wonderfully appropriate television connection. We were told during our visit that an episode of Blackadder was filmed here, with the story loosely based on Gatton’s rotten-borough history. Fans of Blackadder the Third may immediately think of Dunny-on-the-Wold, the spectacularly corrupt constituency where Baldrick finds himself standing for Parliament.
Sometimes history really doesn’t need much help from the comedy writers.
Gatton Hall and its magnificent Marble Hall
Gatton Hall has changed considerably over the centuries, but perhaps one of its most extraordinary periods came when an earlier owner returned from Italy inspired by what he had seen in Rome.
He set about creating an elaborate Marble Hall, collecting different coloured marbles from across Italy and decorating the space with frescoes, an intricate inlaid floor and Old Master paintings.
It became something of a tourist attraction in its day – a glimpse of Italian grandeur transported to the Surrey countryside.
Sadly, its creator, Lord Manson, died when he was only 32. The estate was eventually sold and later became the home of Jeremiah Colman, of the famous mustard-making family.
Gatton Hall | Photo by Viktoryia
The Great Fire
During the Colman family’s time at Gatton, disaster struck.
While the family were away in France, a huge fire swept through the Hall. The exact cause was uncertain, although it was believed to have started in the cellars.
Much of the building – and many of the treasures inside it – was lost. Servants and firefighters worked to rescue whatever they could, including, rather wonderfully, a suit of armour.
Fortunately, nobody was seriously hurt.
Jeremiah Colman later presented those who had helped save possessions from the fire with commemorative plaques containing pieces of marble.
The Hall was rebuilt, although on a simpler scale. By then, the era of enormous private country estates was beginning to change and the new building was designed so that it could eventually have an institutional use.
Today, the upper floors form part of the school, while the lower floor is used for events and other activities.
From Country Estate to School
Gatton Park isn’t simply an historic estate – since the late 1940s it has also been home to the Royal Alexandra and Albert School, a state boarding school for children aged 7 to 18.
The school’s roots stretch back much further. One of its predecessors, the Orphan Working School, was founded in London in 1758 to provide a home and education for orphaned children. It later joined with the Royal Albert School, itself founded as an orphan asylum, to form the Royal Alexandra and Albert School.
In 1948, Lady Colman sold Gatton Park to the charitable Foundation and the estate began a new chapter as the home of the combined school.
Today, around 1,000 pupils learn in the extraordinary surroundings of Gatton Park – and Gatton Hall itself is still very much part of school life. Its upper floors are now home to Sixth Form boarders, who must surely have one of the more impressive views from their bedroom windows!
Capability Brown’s Landscape
Step outside the Hall and another part of Gatton’s history opens up before you.
The landscape was designed in the 1760s by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown – so nicknamed, it is said, because he would tell prospective clients that their estates had great ‘capabilities’ for improvement.
Brown’s genius was making a highly manipulated landscape appear completely natural.
At Gatton, sweeping lawns lead the eye towards water and distant countryside. Ha-has helped keep grazing animals away from formal lawns without interrupting the view, while carefully positioned trees and woodland created an apparently effortless pastoral scene.
His work here took around six years and reportedly cost £3,000 – an enormous sum at the time.
One of Brown’s clever tricks was planting groups of young trees closely together so that, from a distance, they appeared to form a much older and more substantial tree. Earth excavated while creating or enlarging lakes could also be formed into small rises, with trees planted on top for instant visual impact.
Nothing was quite as accidental as it looked.
‘Capability’ Brown’s Landscape | Photo by Viktoryia
Lakes, Trees and Hidden Views
Water was central to Brown’s vision. He dramatically enlarged an existing lake to create a magnificent stretch of water of around 30 acres, reshaping the surrounding ponds and linking them through one of his trademark winding Serpentine canals. Even the earth excavated during the work was put to use, helping to shape the rolling landscape around it.
Gatton has several bodies of water, including a long, winding serpentine leading towards the larger lake. Rather than revealing everything at once, curves, trees and changes in level encourage the landscape to unfold gradually as you walk through it.
Over the years, however, trees and hedges have grown, views have disappeared and parts of the original design have become obscured.
Restoring those historic connections is an ongoing project – and a considerable undertaking.
Much of the work is supported by an extraordinary team of around 150 volunteers, helping with gardening, park maintenance, education, events, refreshments and countless other jobs.
Photos by Viktoryia
The Japanese Garden
Hidden within the landscape is something completely different.
Created during Jeremiah Colman’s time at Gatton, the Japanese Garden dates from around 1912, when Britain was fascinated by Japanese art and culture.
But there was a catch.
People in Britain had relatively little first-hand knowledge of what an authentic Japanese garden actually looked like. Inspiration might come from exhibitions, imported objects, catalogues or even decoration seen on ceramics.
The result at Gatton is a fascinating snapshot of its period: Japanese influences including bamboo, acers, a tea house and lanterns sit alongside planting that feels distinctly like an English cottage garden.
That mixture is now part of what makes the garden historically interesting.
The garden later fell into disrepair and has undergone considerable restoration. Its bridge has been rebuilt several times and a visiting Japanese landscape designer even advised on the positioning of the stepping stones, placing them close together to reflect the smaller steps traditionally taken by women wearing kimonos – a reminder of just how much thought traditionally goes into the placement and orientation of individual elements within a Japanese garden.
Japanese Garden at Gatton Park | Photo by Viktoryia
The Rock and Water Garden
Another of Gatton’s surprises is the Rock and Water Garden.
Its dramatic rocks aren’t quite what they seem.
They were created using Pulhamite, an artificial rock developed by James Pulham & Son. It allowed Victorian and Edwardian garden designers to create convincing rocky landscapes, grottoes and water features without having to move enormous quantities of natural stone.
Today the garden is another ongoing restoration project – one of many places at Gatton where historic design, nature and practical conservation have to work alongside one another.
Pulhamite rocks at the Rock & Water garden. Willow sculpture in the orchard.
Orchids, Apples and the Productive Gardens
Jeremiah Colman wasn’t simply interested in how his gardens looked. He was a keen plantsman with a particular passion for orchids.
Gatton once had extensive glasshouses containing orchids and other plants, and Colman became well known for his interest in orchid breeding. After his death, plants from the collection found their way to important botanical collections elsewhere.
Other parts of the estate were much more practical, producing fruit and food for the household.
That tradition continues in a different way today. The orchard provides apples for activities including Apple Day, when fruit can be pressed into juice, while schoolchildren can pick apples and use them in cooking.
Nearby areas of longer grass and wildflowers also provide valuable habitats – and wonderful places for children to hunt for crickets and other wildlife.
A Garden for Children – and Fairies
One of the loveliest things about Gatton is that its history hasn’t turned it into somewhere that children can only look at.
The gardens are used for exploring, playing and discovering the natural world.
Younger visitors might go fairy hunting, search among the plants or make their own potions. A few strategically placed fairies can occasionally help the magic along!
It is a lovely example of how an historic landscape can continue to evolve and be enjoyed rather than simply preserved behind a metaphorical rope.
And it isn’t only younger visitors who benefit from this special setting. Gatton also hosts Dementia Adventure, a monthly programme run in partnership with MHA Communities East Surrey for people living with dementia and their carers.
Using the park and gardens as inspiration, sessions include nature-based activities, seasonal crafts, gardening, picnics and apple pressing – with time to enjoy the surroundings and connect with others. And that very welcome golf buggy gets put to good use here too, taking visitors for a gentle drive around the park.
Captivating structures in the Forest School
One Last Hidden Detail
Back near the church is an easily missed reminder of Lord Monson, the same young owner who created Gatton’s magnificent Marble Hall.
Lord Monson had suffered from poor health since childhood and his doctor advised him not to venture outside during the winter. But that presented something of a problem when he wanted to attend church.
The solution was wonderfully characteristic of the age: rather than miss a service, build a covered passageway from Gatton Hall to St Andrew’s Church.
Part of the old passageway can still be seen today – one last intriguing glimpse into the lives of the people who once called Gatton home.
What remains of the passageway to St Andrew’s Church (centre) and the fireplace used by Lord Monson
And perhaps that’s what makes Gatton Park so fascinating.
Its landscape may look peaceful and timeless, but beneath it are layers of very human stories – ambition, fashion, eccentricity, disaster, restoration and ingenuity.
And, more than two centuries after Capability Brown began reshaping the land, Gatton is still changing.
Find out more about Gatton Park
Inspired to explore Gatton for yourself?
The park opens to the public on selected days throughout the year, with Open Days, guided tours, workshops, family activities and special events. The Trust also welcomes new volunteers to help with everything from gardening and conservation to education and events.
Gatton Park – main website
What’s On at Gatton Park
Plan your visit
Group visits and guided tours
Volunteer with The Gatton Trust
Article by Chon
Photos by Viktoriya & Chon
Jim kept the dominoes table lively with plenty of good humour, while later there was a music quiz which turned out to be considerably harder than it sounded — name the song and the artist. We won’t be publishing our scores. There was even a tense little tie-breaker, with Sue first to the right answer and rewarded with a jar of jam.
