Details
SK 17 SE PARISH OF ASHFORD-IN-THE-WATER LONGSTONE LANE
3/50 (East Side)
Gardens at Thornbridge Hall
GV II
Garden walls, steps, terraces, game larder, garden house, grotto passage and
ornaments. Limestone rubble, gritstone and white marble. Upper and lower south
gardens with sunken rose garden to east. Upper and lower terraces to east of
house with sunken topiary garden beyond to east. Terrace and flight of stairs.
joins these to rose garden. To north, terraces continue via grotto passage.
Below topiary garden to east lakeside garden. Lower south garden bounded by
limestone rubble walls with gritstone copings. To south-west, entrance gate;
square stone piers, topped by ball finials. Elaborately scrolled brackets to
sides. To north, attached winged griffins. C18 style gate. To east, retaining
wall decorated by urns. To north, two flights of steps, those to centre with double
flight of steps. Piers, topped by ball finials to sides, middle piers with scroll
brackets attached to south. Nearby, circular Romanesque-style table on decorated
stem with bears to base. Above, to west, in upper south garden, baldacchino on
Tuscan columns, topped by coat of arms in semi-circular pediment. To east, sundial
and Italianate-style stone bench. Sunken rose garden to east, bounded by balustrade
with intermediate square piers, topped by ball finials or urns. To south-east
corner, a pair of gates and white marble bird bath. Italianate stone bench to
west. Flights of balustraded steps to south-west corner and north. Northern flight
leads up to circular limestone rubble garden house. Asphalt roof with wide over-
hanging eaves and wide segmental arch on corbels to south. Balustered walls and
flights of steps to south, east and north. Intermediate square piers with ball
finials. Behind garden house, raised, paved terrace with low stone panelled walls
and several large decorated urns. Also oval pink granite table. Terrace drops down
to north onto lower eastern terrace. Path with pairs of decorated urns to sides.
At north end, underground grotto passage, made up of massive boulders. Beyond, to
north, retaining wall to west with central flight of steps. At top of steps, to
other side of path, massive stone figure of Atlas, approximately 9 feet high,
with large stone sphere on shoulders. Below, to either side of steps, statues;
human torsos on tapering fish-scaled bases. Above lower eastern terrace, next
to house, paved terrace, High limestone wall to north end with inset rusticated
gritstone piers, topped by urns. Busts of classical figures to eastern side of
wall, Tudor-style gateway to north, game larder beyond of limestone rubble with
gritstone dressings. Small window to north. Tudor-style doorcase at angle to
north with oculus in Dutch gable over. Attached lamp post to west; stone base
carved with lilies, cast iron pillar with spherical lamp to top. Below lower
eastern terrace, topiary garden bounded by limestone rubble walls. Alternating,
shrub boxes, urns and statues to sides with central fountain. To north and south,
entrance piers with decorated urn finials. Below, to east in lakeside garden,
large stone bench. Urns to sides and steps up to bench with corner ball finials
and central semi-circular pediment and side scrolls to back. Remainder of garden
appears in Great Longstone parish.
Listing NGR: SK1981970962
