The Friends of The Forgotten Garden of Lewtrenchard

In early 2006 Terry Faull, the local landscape historian, gave a talk on the subject of the Holy Wells of Devon to the local history society, Lewdown Past, which included an account of his own unsuccessful attempt to find the Lewtrenchard Holy Well. Spurred on by this talk, Albert Spry, Arthur Perkin and Ron Wawman, all members of Lewdown Past, struggled through the long neglected and dense undergrowth of the Glen determined to find the well. They also were unsuccessful in that quest but what they did find were traces of an old garden as evidenced by the remains of a series of ponds and waterfalls, a grotto, walkways, hedges, cultivated herbivorous plants and shrubs, stone steps and viewing areas.
Meanwhile, quite independently, Rob Stemson, then head gardener at Lewtrenchard Manor Hotel, had also found the garden and at a chance meeting between Rob and Ron in 2006 the possibility of restoring the garden was first mooted. Thus began the process that led to the formation of ‘The Friends’ and the discovery of the original location of the well.

When, Why and By Whom was the Garden Created?

As yet no firm documentary evidence has been found for a garden in the Glen. Julian Gibbs, the National Trust parks and gardens curator, is firmly of the opinion that what has been found is a typical Edwardian woodland garden. This would tie in with the possibility that the garden was created about the same time as Sabine rebuilt the Holy Well in 1913 and it could well be that he deliberately created the garden as a beautiful and peaceful setting for the Holy Well.

It is known that Sabine’s wife, Grace was crippled with arthritis at this time and that Sabine was keen to encourage her to take as much exercise as possible. From comments in Sabine’s correspondence there is reason to believe that he thought Grace needed to be motivated to take exercise. There is also a suggestion that she was fond of walking in the Glen. It is possible that Sabine saw the creation of a garden in the Glen as a way of enticing Grace to take the exercise she needed. Who knows, perhaps Sabine also thought that Grace would benefit from the curative properties of the Holy water. A glimpse of some of the flowers that once grew in the Glen and Grace’s love of them is given in the unpublished memoirs of Joan Priestley who was one of Sabine’s daughters. She wrote:

The Glen was a mass of bluebells, primroses and white wild violets. The white violets nestled under the old trees. There was always a rush to get them as my mother loved them as she did all flowers. They were just a part of her being.

Sabine’s novel Arminell, published in 1889 and undoubted set in Lew Trenchard gave a hint that there may have been some sort of woodland walk in the Glen before an Edwardian restoration. On page 121, Lady Lamerton informs Lord Lamerton

I have told Arminell (her stepdaughter) that he (Samuel Ceely,'a poor cripple') can work in the Glen That requires to be done up, it has been neglected for so many years. The paths and the summerhouse, the benches, the water-fall, are all out of order. Giles may like to play there.

This gives an all too brief but tantalising glimpse of what might have been present in the Glen in earlier years. Whatever might have been there does not appear on old maps of the area.

The start of World War I in 1914, just a year after the garden was created, and the subsequent disappearance to France of young men from the parish must have placed a heavy strain on Sabine’s ability to maintain all the gardens at Lew Trenchard. The garden in the Glen would have been an early casualty. Grace’s health continued to deteriorate and she died in 1916. Sabine was heart-broken and never fully recovered from her death. His own health declined, his own ability to walk any distance was also lost and he died in January 1924 just a few days short of his 90th birthday.

In 1919 Sabine’s son, Edward, and his wife, Marion, moved into Lew House to look after Sabine. They took over the management of the house and estate although Edward showed little interest in either. Sabine resented his loss of independence and had a strained relationship with Marion.
Taking all these events and attitudes into consideration it is easy to understand why the garden in the Glen had a very short life, quickly became overgrown and was then, quite literally, forgotten.

Why was the Stonework of the Holy Well moved from the Woodland Garden?

In 1928, four years after Sabine’s death, his daughter-in-law, Marion, wife of Edward Baring-Gould, engaged Walter Sarel to create the terrace rose garden in front of Lew House. Sarel wanted a feature to set off his new creation and, according to a letter from Teddy, one of her son’s, Marion offered the old ‘wishing well’ in the neglected woods behind the house. Teddy’s use of the term ‘wishing well’ suggests that Marion, and her children, may not have understood the significance of the structure that was about to be moved.

It could be argued that this was not the way to treat a Holy Well. On the other hand, it is likely that, had the structure been left unattended in the neglected woodland garden, sooner of later the beautiful stonework would have been stolen.

Why did 'The Friends' choose the Scarlet Oak as a logo?

There are several fine specimens of quercus coccinea, the Scarlet Oak, in the Forgotten Garden. It is known from an entry in the Family Bible for 1891 that Sabine planted a number of scarlet oaks about the estate gardens in that year.
During a preliminary survey of the Glen in 2007 an exciting find by Tony Butland was of a cast iron plant label with the inscription quercus Coccinea. This helped to confirm that that the area had at one time been lovingly cultivated. The Friends then decided to adopt the distinctive leaf of the Scarlet Oak as their logo.

The Friends, with the generous assistance of the Baring-Gould Corporation, have leased the garden area, comprising about 1½ acres, together with the surrounding ancient bluebell woods, amounting to approximately a further 5 acres. The Friends aim to restore the garden as a community facility, restore the man-made structures, conserve the woodlands together with their wildlife and rescue the lost Holy Well.
Through a combination of perseverance, an 1884 map, a 1913 family bible entry, a 1914 photograph, a sentence in Sabine’s Early Reminiscences, and some logical deduction, the Friends at last discovered and, in the autumn of 2007, excavated the site of the well.

The Friends are aware this is a challenging long-term project and that they will need all the help they can get, whether this be through:

• Financial support either by donations, sponsorship or by joining as a member.
• Support in kind—Eg materials, knowledge, practical skills or use of machinery, e. g. chainsaws..
• Documentary research.
• Assisting with surveys of the archaeology, watercourses, wildlife, herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees.
• Assisting the skilled restoration of man-made structures.
• Most importantly, by getting their hands dirty by clearing the debris of a hundred years and restoring the garden.