Walled Garden and Associated Buildings at Chillingham

Details

Walled garden, late C18/early C19, part of Chillingham estate and within Registered Park. Hand made brick in English Garden Wall Bond with dressed sandstone south wall, sandstone copings and ashlar gate piers. Roughly square plan, aligned north-south and divided from east to west into two unequal rectangles, with greenhouses against south side of each north wall and ancillary buildings on north side of northernmost wall. Main access gate central to south wall, having square ashlar pillars with chamfered plinths and shallow pyramidal tops and gate of cast iron with arrow-head finials. Exterior of south wall faced in dressed sandstone; remaining walls of brick, with sandstone copings. South wall is lower than the others which are up to 5 metres high, with brick buttresses at regular intervals. Central dividing wall has a monumental central entrance in ashlar with high semi-circular arched head, plain projecting rectangular surround and heavy unadorned cornice. Vertical boarded wooden door. Semi-circular arched gateway through centre of rear north wall, with vertical boarded wooden door. Further openings near northern and southern ends of west wall and one in east wall. Greenhouses along entire south side of central wall with monopitch roofs: glazing largely destroyed but timber structure fairly complete including wooden gutters, metal plate on one door reading "W RICHARDSON & CO DARLINGTON". Series of moulded clay, cream, square chimneys along wall, some in pairs, associated with internal heating system. On south side of outer north wall, further greenhouses in similar condition, and chimneys along the top of the wall. On the rear of the outer north wall, a series of buildings of dressed sandstone with monopitch slate or corrugated iron roofs, some partially collapsed. Discernable functions include boiler house with boiler and pipework intact, midden for manure, tool sheds, plant preparation areas and potting sheds.
Towards the southern end of the east wall is a late C20 cottage built into the garden wall. One window and a door breach the wall, and a small strip of the garden adjacent is in the ownership of the cottage. The cottage itself, apart from its rear wall, is not of special interest.

End of official list entry