Chevening Park, Sevenoaks, England

The Earl Stanhope laid out the gardens in the French manner in the early 18th century. A Kip engraving of 1719 shows the formal, stylised design, (see reference material in County Planning Department). According to Mrs E Banks, 'There is no doubt that the garden was created as illustrated in the engraving because there is an accurate estate map circa 1720 and a further map dated 1747 which show the maturing of the complicated design'.

Later in the century tree planting was continued with woodland belts and roundels. A lake was superimposed over the formal canal and the earlier shape was revealed recently when drainage of the lake took place as part of the restoration programme.

In the early 19th century Phillip, 4th Earl of Stanhope, spent 37 years planting and restoring the neglected gardens. He made an Italian garden, a maze and planted many trees and shrubs. Lists of plants ordered still survive and his memorandum on forestry showed a complete understanding of the subject (Mrs E Banks).

He dismissed the possibilities of restoring the canal due to the high costs involved. The same problem still exists today. His enthusiasm for the garden prompted him to open it regularly to visitors. His son planted the parterre in the mid-19th century.

The Chevening Trustees took over the management of the estate in 1967 on the 7th Earl Stanhope's death, and an ambitious programme of restoration has been undertaken starting with the house, and now the grounds, the latter under the direction of Mrs E Banks. Her excellent study of Chevening and her case for restoration is a valuable document (see reference).

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

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

The present Chevening House was built, reputedly to designs by Inigo Jones (1573-1652), in about 1620 for Richard Lennard, thirteenth Lord Dacre, on the site of an earlier building. Following the death of Thomas, fifteenth Lord Dacre and Earl of Sussex in 1717, the estate was sold to General James Stanhope (1673-1721), who was created Earl Stanhope in 1718. Stanhope added wings and two pavilions to the house and remodelled the gardens. An engraving by Badeslade, published in 1719 (Harris), shows a complex set of formal gardens south of the house. Nicholas Dubois, Thomas Archer, and Thomas Fort are all known to have worked on the house and each could have been involved in the gardens. Philip, second Earl Stanhope (1714-86) inherited the estate while still a minor. From 1763 to 1773 he lived in Switzerland and during this period Chevening was let to his cousin, William Pitt, first Earl Chatham. A letter exists from Lord Chatham to Lady Stanhope stating that he had contacted Lancelot Brown (1716-83), as she had instructed, but there is no evidence that Brown actually became involved. The second Earl's wife and his son, Charles, third Earl (1753-1816), as well as making alterations to the house, were responsible from the 1770s onwards for extensive changes in the grounds, softening the formal layout in a more fashionable form. A map of 1775 by Woodward shows the first stages of these alterations. The fourth Earl, Philip (1781-1855), succeeded in 1816 by which time the park had become neglected. A keen gardener and forester, he spent thirty-seven years planting at Chevening and was responsible for the basic layout of the present gardens and surrounding park. A codicil to his will requested that the garden, pleasure ground, park, woods, and plantations be left unchanged, and his wish was largely respected. Some renovation was carried out in the 1930s and in 1970 Geoffrey Jellicoe (1900-96) became involved in the work. An extensive restoration plan was begun in 1980. On the death of the seventh Earl in 1967, Chevening passed to a trust and it is now (2001) used as an official residence, the occupant being nominated by the Prime Minister.