Bayfordbury, Hertford, England

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

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

Jane Cottrell and Harriet Baker, daughters and co-heiresses of Jane Aldemare from whom they inherited Bayford manor, sold the estate to Sir William Baker (died 1770) in 1758 (Victoria County History). Sir William was one of the richest and most successful businessmen in England at the time, and was engaged particularly in American trade. He made an advantageous marriage to Mary Tonson, the daughter of Jacob Tonson, a well-known and prosperous publisher and Chairman of the East India Company (1749-50, 1752-3), and co-founder of the Kit-Cat Club in 1700.

Sir William built a house on the former farmland, 1759-62, surrounding it with a landscape park in which a collection of cedars of Lebanon were planted in 1765 as nine-year-old saplings (Country Life 1925). After Baker's death his son, William II (died 1824), inherited the property, carrying out improvements to the grounds, including the creation of the lake in 1772, and major alterations to the house, 1806-12. Upon his death, William II's grandson, William Robert (died 1896), inherited the estate, creating a pinetum in 1837, with advice from John Claudius Loudon. Many of the early plantings came from noted plant collectors including David Douglas and Hartweg. Further plantings of newly introduced species were made in about 1900, many coming from collections by Maries and Captain L Clinton-Baker. Many of the specimens are featured in H Clinton-Baker's Illustrations of Conifers (1909-12).

In 1945 the Baker family divided and sold the estate. The John Innes Institute bought the house and surrounding parkland, building various research blocks in the grounds and setting up horticultural trials. In 1967 the house was acquired by Hatfield Polytechnic, and sold again in 1986 as a company headquarters, in which use it remains (1999).