The Gardens

This is the list of French gardens referenced in Digging Deeper.

It sets out all the sites discovered so far from the years 1905-1914. Listed are sites described at the time as a French garden or where there was any mention of French gardening activity. The definition has been kept deliberately loose to avoid missing anywhere of interest.

It is very much a work in progress – as you can see – and my apologies if some of it is a little cryptic. In due course I hope to add more information, including grid references.

Some of the gardens were well known during the craze and there is a great deal of further information available. Others have been identified from only a single reference in the press.


Key to categories:

1. Specialist French gardens

2. Ladies’ market gardens

3. Mixed market gardens

4. ‘Reformers’

5. County councils

6. Gardening schools

7. Reformatory, Industrial and Charitable schools

8. Seed companies

9. Private individuals


Name Location Category Owner Began Ended Acreage Frenchman
Bengeworth Nurseries Evesham 1 John Idiens / J.N. Harvey Jan. 1905   5 yes
Stephenson Evesham 1 Walter Stephenson 1908   2  
Burhill Intensive Garden Hersham, Walton-on-Thames 1 C.D. McKay autumn 1908 still going in early1920s 8 Adolphe Beck / Charles Heiniger (1913)
Withdean French Garden Patcham, Brighton 1 Captain Alexander Fraser autumn 1908   2 or 1.25 Pierre Lecoq / Armand MacHefer (1911)
Hatch French Market Gardens Tisbury, Wilts. 1 Captain Benett-Stanford Jan. 1909   2 (or 2.5) Mons. Vion
Halliford French Gardens Shepperton, Middx 1 Percy Yates  1910 Still going 1940 8 Adolphe Beck
French Garden Co. St Osych Road, Clacton on Sea 1 William Ferens before Apr 1910   5  
Bedford nr. Bromham road bridge 1 E. Graham Falcon  1909   2  
Ifield Crawley, Sussex 1 B.C. Webb before Apr 1910   1  
Misses Nussey & Cockerell Gosbrooks, Southwater, Horsham 1 Helen Nussey & Olive Cockerell 1908 Sep.1910 2  
Westfield Westfield, East Sussex 1 Miss Kingcombe (Francis Girdlestone manager) autumn 1908 Apr.1912 2 (or 1) Charles Heiniger
Christchurch French Gardens Stour Road, Christchurch 1 J.H.Pain  1909   2 Henri Vallais
Hawley Hawley, Blackwater, Hants 1          
Crowmarsh French Gardens Howbery Park, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford 1 Harvey du Cros spring? 1909   4 Alfred Sausy
Stonehouse French Gardens Stonehouse, Gloucs 1 Arthur Bonsey / M.H. Heald buys in 1913 Nov.1909   2 Jean Malgonne
Leckhampton Cliff House, Leckhampton, Gloucs 1 Catherine Faulkner / Ethel Smith           1910      
Tiptree Brook Hall, Tiptree, Essex 1 Frank Mynott 1908 Oct. 1910 1 1/4 Paul Aquatias (from early 1909)
West Ashling Funtington, Chichester 1 Mssrs Barnett & Sedgwick Oct. 1908 for sale March 1911 2 Edward Martinet
Golden Green Golden Green, Tonbridge 1 Frederick Shrivell (?)   for sale Apr.1920    
Park Hill French Gardens Ipplepen, Newton Abbot 1 Thomas Butler 1908    3 acre site  
Crowhurst The Meadows, Crowhurst, East Sussex 1 R.J. Chandler   sold June 1912    
Stanford Stanford, Kent 1 Dr Eric Pridmore late 1908   3 acre site – only part FG yes
Rowsley The Hall, Rowsley Derbyshire 1    by Oct. 1909      
The Grange French Gardens Spofforth, Yorkshire 1 Hon. W.Dundas by Dec. 1909     yes
Eye Eye, Peterborough 1 Horrell (?) early 1909      
Hexham French Garden Hexham 1 (poss.) Hexham Gardeners Mutual Improvement Society 1909?      
Cobham French Garden Cobham, Surrey 1    1909     Jules Gilbert
Bryn-Y-Pys Bry-Y-Pys estate, Ellesmere, Shropshire 1 Mrs Peel autumn 1908     no
Guildford French Garden Worplesdon, Surrey 1 G.J. Paget & J.W. Angell  1910     Justin Rinderer
Farnorth French Garden Grange-over-Sands, Lancashire 1 Arthur Molyneux before Apr 1910 company wound up 1919   Paul Aquatias (from 1911)
French Intensive Garden Coombe Dingle, Bristol 1 Mr. E.J. Robertson Sep. 1912   2.5 whole garden (but only small portion cultivated)  
French Garden, Milton Weston-super-Mare 1   late 1908      
French Garden, Silverdale Carnforth, Lancs 1   before June 1909      
Pitshanger FarmBrentham, Middx.1by 1913
Belper Bridge Hill, Belper, Derbyshire 1  Mr Strutt (?)        
Roundwood French Garden Ipswich 1          
Wadebridge Wadebridge, Cornwall 1 Miss Douglas        
The French Gardens Dundrum, Dublin 1 Kenneth Wells-Bladen  1909(?)   2.5  
Thatcham Fruit and Flower Farm Thatcham 2 Lily Hughes-Jones 1907   2 (whole site 5) Mons. Coq
Henfield Violet Nurseries Henfield, Sussex 2 Misses Allen-Brown 1906      
Cottesmore Stratfield Mortimer, Berks 2 Lucy, Ina & Stella Frost before Apr 1910   0.25  
Mercia Small Holding Greenway Court, Hollingbourne, Kent 2 Edith Bradley & Miss Baillie-Hamilton  1910     Albert Panvert
The Garden Colony for Gentlewomen Horsington, Lincs. 2 Miss Hestor Jane Turner        
St Alban’s Fruit & Floral Farm London Colney, St Albans 3   before Apr 1910   1.5  
Boswell Evesham 3 Frank Boswell spring 1908   2 no
Brookman’s Estate French Garden Bell Bar, nr Hatfield 3    before Apr 1910   1  
Leicester Frith Home Groby Road, Leicester 3    1909 (?)      
Elmcroft Nurseries nr. Chichester 3 Miss C.M. Dixon autumn 1908 ceased by Nov. 1910    
Tebbutt Vauxhall House, Sturry Road, Canterbury 3 George Tebbutt autumn 1908      
Pouces Nurseries Ramsgate, Kent 3          
Oatwood Whitstable, Kent 3    1912      
Houston Mill East Linton, East Lothian 3 Mssrs Brown & Webster Sep-09   2.5 (6 acre market garden)  
Fiddown Fruit & Flower Farm nr. Waterford, Ireland 3 A.V. Brickenden autumn 1909(?)      no
Anglo-French Gardens Barrow-on-Soar, Louthborough, Leics 3 George Bird        
Hazelwood Nurseries Ham Road, Worthing 3 Cecil Toynbee early 1909 1916    
Pierce Beauxherne, Harbledown, Kent 3 Mr. W.R.Pierce late 1908      
Lidwells Goudhurst, Kent 4 H.P. Fitzgerald autumn 1908 sold June 1920 2 (or 1.5) yes
Poole Stanley Green, Poole 4 Lady Wimborne / DG Chapman manager  Oct. 1908   2.5 or nearly 4 Clement Fedou
The Times Experimental Station Sutton Place, Surrey 4 Lord Northcliffe (Charles Foster manager)  1909      
Mayland Althorne, Essex 4 Joseph Fels (Thomas Smith manager) 1906 Land colony sold 1912 Jan-00 Pierre Lecoq / Paul Aquatias
East Anglian Sanatorium Nayland, Suffolk 4 Dr Jane Walker autumn 1908      yes (x2)
County Farm Hutton, Fylde, Lancs 5 Lancashire County Council 1909 still going 1914 0.05  
Gulval Experimental Fruit Farm Penzance 5 Cornwall County Council  1908      
Droitwich Experimental Garden Droitwich, Worcs. 5 Worcestershire County Council  1909    0.25  
Essex County School of Horticulture Rainsford End, Chelmsford              5 Essex County Council        
Stour Valley School of Anglo-French Gardening Sturry, Canterbury 6 Mrs Eugene O’Sullivan autumn 1908   0.25 Armand Perochon
Henfield School of French Horticulture Henfield, Sussex 6 Misses Allen-Brown autumn 1908     Louis Terasse
Crowborough School of French Gardening Crowborough, Sussex 6 Charles Bannister Jan. 1909     yes
Sellindge Agricultural School Sellindge, Kent 6   by Sep. 1910      
Studley College   6 French garden supervised by Misses Hughes-Jones and Peers 1908      
Swanley College Kent 6   autumn  1908      
Edinburgh and East of Scotland College of Agriculture Inveresk, East Lothian 6    1909      
Bredon’s Norton Bredon’s Norton, Worcs 6 May Crooke  1906 spring 1909    
Devon School of Gardening Ivybridge, Devon 6 May Crooke 1911      
Lows Hill School of Gardening for Educated Women Hoe Benham, Newbury 6 Principal: Mrs Stephen Batson  by 1910      
Leatheringsett School of Gardening Leatheringsett, nr. Holt, Norfolk             6   1909 1910    
School of French Gardening, Shepperton Kilmiston Gardens, Shepperton 6   before March 1909      
Stonebridge Park Church Army Home Middlesex 7   Oct. 1909      
Stoke Farm Reformatory for Boys Bromsgrove, Worcestershire 7   1908      
Birkdale Farm School Reformatory Birkdale, Southport, Lancs 7   1908      
Calder Farm Reformatory for Boys Mirfield, Yorkshire 7    by 1909      
Chadwick Memorial Industrial School Stanwix, Carlisle 7    by 1909      
Church Farm Industrial School Barnet, Herts 7    by 1909      
Birmingham Industrial School for Boys (Shustoke) Shustoke, Birmingham 7    by 1909      
Buxton Industrial School Lamas, Norwich 7    by 1909      
Netherton Training School Northumberland 7    by 1909      
St. Vincent’s Industrial School Dartford, Kent 7   1910      
Midland Truant Industrial School Litchfield 7   1910      
Stranraer Reformatory for Boys Wigtonshire 7   1910      
Middlesbrough Industrial School Yorkshire 7   by 1911      
Warwickshire Reformatory School Weston-under-Weatherley, Warks. 7   by 1910      
Sutton & Sons Reading 8   1906?      
Mollington Hall Mollington, Cheshire 9 Thomas Gibbons Frost autumn 1908      
Hall Barn Beaconsfield 9 Lord Burham        
Allestree Hall Derbyshire 9 Sir H.H. Raphael Bt. MP.        
Cavenham Park Mildenhall, Suffolk 9 Mr A.B.H. Goldschmidt        
Holfield Grange nr. Coggeshall, Essex 9          
Little Dalby Hall Melton Mowbray 9 Captain James Burns-Hartopp 1909      
St Fagan’s Glamorgan 9   1908      
Tenby 2 Jubilee Cottages, Tenby, Pembrokeshire 9 Mr Russell 1910      
Pidduck Westbere, Kent 9 Mr. R. Pidduck late 1908      
Brown Glenbrook Bungalow, Westbere, Kent 9 Mr Brown late 1908      
Duraz Seabrook Road, Hythe, Kent 9 Mr. C. Duraz late 1908      
Mount Folkestone 9 Mr Percy Mount late 1908      
Hutchinson Hunterscombe, Knaresborough, Yorks. 9 Miss Hutchinson late 1908      
Beaumont College Old Windsor   misc. Beaumont College (Roman Catholic school) 1909     Louis Terasse