Somerhill Park, Tonbridge, England

There are two small ornamental lakes with rhododendron dells and much Victorian planting of isolated exotics, such as holly and atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) in front of the 1849 extension to the house. There is also a monkey-puzzle (Araucaria araucana). Lodge cottages were built in 1871, but, half-timbered, they are Tudor in appearance and rather out of place.

The 20th century has seen much work by Lady Goldsmid, particularly since 1955. There has been the addition of several pieces of modern sculpture, and a swimming pool garden house created by Sir Hugh Casson. All the yew hedges, rows of Irish yews, and a large-scale rose garden around the house were created in 1960 (10 gardeners).

There is a camellia walk (camellia and shrub rose flanking a winding staircase) leading to a rhododendron dell. The dell was created in 1967 to commemorate Sarah d'Avigdor-Goldsmid, who was drowned in a sailing accident. At this time pleached lime walks and azaleas were also planted. Therefore other parts of the garden have all been created from existing parkland since 1950.

The parkland suffered extensively in the 1987 storm, and both park and house look forward to renovation under new ownership.

This garden warrants further investigation, as there may be associations with W S Gilpin (1761-1845) a well-known landscape designer of the early-19th century.

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

An early 19th-century formal, terraced garden probably laid out by William Sawrey Gilpin and further developed in the later 19th century, with surrounding early to mid-20th-century formal and informal ornamental gardens, and set within a late 18th- to early 19th-century park.

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Somerhill is situated immediately east of Tonbridge, on the north-east side of the A21, Tonbridge to Tunbridge Wells trunk road. The 159 hectare site, which comprises about 6 hectares of formal and ornamental gardens and 153 hectares of parkland, farmland, and woodland, lies on undulating ground which rises south-eastwards from the floor of a stream valley running across the north-west corner to the crest of a high ridge. There are extensive views from the upper slopes across the Medway valley 2 kilometres to the north and to farmed and wooded ridges beyond Tunbridge Wells to the west and south-west. Park paling encloses the north-west and south-west boundaries from adjacent major roads (A21 and A26), beyond which lies the developed edge of Tonbridge (to the north-west) and wooded farmland (to the south-west). Five Oak Green Road (a minor road) runs along the northern boundary, with farmland and orchards beyond, while to the south-east, the estate's farmland and woodland merge into a similar landscape.

REFERENCES Used by English Heritage

Country Life, 52 (9 September 1922), pp 310-17

J Newman, The Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald (1969), pp 514-15

J Harris, The Artist and the Country House (1979), p 352

C Morris (editor), The Illustrated Journeys of Celia Fiennes (1982), pp 128-9

Kent Gardens Compendium, (1992), pp 140-1

S Piebenga, William Sawrey Gilpin (1762-1843), (English Heritage Designer Theme Study 1994)

Somerhill, guide leaflet, (The Schools at Somerhill 1997)

Maps

J Andrews, A Dury and W Herbert, A Topographical Map of the County of Kent, 2" to 1 mile, 1769

W Mudge, Map of Kent, 1" to 1 mile, 1801

C Greenwood, Map of the County of Kent from an actual survey made in the years 1819 and 1820, about 1" to 1 mile, 1821

Tithe map for Capel parish, 1840 (R30/17/37/B2), (Centre for Kentish Studies, Maidstone)

OS 6" to 1 mile: 1st edition surveyed 1866-9, published 1872; 2nd edition 1898; 3rd edition published 1909; 1938 edition

OS 25" to 1 mile: 3rd edition published 1909; 1938 edition

Illustrations

J M W Turner, View of the west front, 1810-11 (reproduced in Country Life 1922)