Lytes Cary, Somerton, England

The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest

Early 20th-century formal gardens and a park laid out by Sir Walter Jenner to his own design around a restored and extended 16th-century manor house.

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Lytes Cary is situated about 3.5 kilometres north-north-east of Ilchester and about 1.5 kilometres south of Charlton Mackrell, to the west of the A37 road. The roughly 15 hectare site comprises some 1.5 hectares of formal gardens, and around 13.5 hectares of park. The site is bounded to the west by fences and stone walls which separate it from a minor road leading north from the A37 road to the village of Charlton Mackrell. To the north, east, and south the site adjoins agricultural land, from which it is separated by hedges and fences. The site slopes gently from south-east to north-west, and while there are few external vistas from the formal gardens, there are wide views from the park north and north-west towards Charlton Mackrell and the surrounding country.

REFERENCES Used by English Heritage

Country Life, 102 (18 July 1947), pp 128-31; (25 July 1947), pp 178-81; (1 August 1947), pp 228-31; 172 (2 September 1982), pp 634-6

N Pevsner, The Buildings of England: South and West Somerset (1958), pp 228-9

Victoria History of the County of Somerset III, (1974), pp 100-01

J Bond, Somerset Parks and Gardens (1998), pp 147-8

Lytes Cary, guidebook, (National Trust 2001)

Maps

OS 6" to 1 mile: 2nd edition published 1904

Illustrations

J C Bucker, drawings of Lytes Cary, 1835 (National Trust)

Archival items

Photographs of Lytes Cary, late 19th and early 20th century (National Trust)
 

Description written: November 2002

Edited: May 2004