History

Spetchley was bought by Rowland Berkeley, a wool merchant and banker, in 1606. Prior to this it had been owned by the Sheldon and Lyttleton families. 

A painting of a man wearing a white ruff and a red robe

Sir Robert Berkley

Rowland Berkeley, who originally purchased Spetchley Park, died in 1611 and the estate was inherited by his son Sir Robert Berkeley (1584-1656), a High Court Judge in the reign of Charles I. Sir Robert was a monarchist and was lucky not to lose his head after the turbulent times of the English Civil War. He did however lose his house, which was burnt down to the ground by Scottish Presbyterians on the eve of the Battle of Worcester in 1651.


Around the same time as Sir Robert inherited Spetchley, the estate was extended by purchases of land in neighbouring parishes White Ladies Aston, Churchill, Whittington and Warndon, enlarging the estate which today amounts to 4000 acres. 


Sir Robert lost a great deal of money supporting the Monarchy and rather than rebuild the house, he converted the outbuildings which became the family home for the next 170 years.

Creating a lasting legacy of beauty and nature that all can enjoy

In 1625 Sir Robert Berkeley, was granted a licence to impark by Charles I, resulting in the deer park that we see today (which once stretched all the way to London), together with an extensive campaign of landscape planting and enclosure.

 

In 1811 Robert Berkeley (a later descendent of Sir Robert) engaged architect John Tasker to design and build the beautiful Bath stone Palladian mansion. It took 10 years to build along with the redesign of the gardens, creation of the walled garden and filling-in of the north arm of the moat. The lake was formed in 1834 from the original old moat which surrounded Rowland’s original Tudor house.


Successive members of the family lovingly continued to develop the landscape and the Gardens, the latter most notably assisted by Ellen Willmott, sister to Rose Berkeley, in the late 19th and 20th centuries. In 1925 Spetchley became one of the first gardens in the country to open its gate to visitors under the National Garden Scheme.

Rose Berkeley

A black and white photo of a woman in a tuxedo.

Commemorating Rose Berkeley

In 2022 we commemorated the centenary of Rose Berkeley’s death.


Rose Willmott married Robert Valentine Berkeley in 1891. She was the younger sister of Ellen Willmott, the renowned horticulturalist and influential plant collector. Ellen was instrumental in helping her sister with the design and planting of certain aspects of the wonderful gardens, she was also the first lady to be awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s Victorian Medal of Honour.


The anniversary of Rose’s death happened to coincide with the launch of a new book about her sister, Ellen, that was written with the assistance of our very own archivist Karen.


Please ask about the Rose and Ellen trail, a brand-new garden Trail reflecting the influence Rose and her sister Ellen's designs had on Spetchley gardens.

Rose Berkeley's Influence

Rose was the architect of much of the garden’s design and her vision is still very evident in the Gardens today, from the use of the Fountain Gardens where she grew and bred daffodils, to the layout of the huge herbaceous borders which surround the Kitchen Garden. Throughout she was assisted by her sister Ellen.


We invite you to seek out the areas still in evidence of their influence, even follow the Rose and Ellen trail to get closer to these two brilliant Horticulturalists that shaped the Gardens we see today.




Spetchley History

1606 - Rowland Berkeley purchased Spetchley Park, later inherited by his son Sir Robert Berkeley in 1611.


1625 - Sir Robert Berkeley was granted a license to impark by Charles I.


1651 - The original Tudor brick and timber building was burnt to the ground by Scottish Presbyterians on the eve of the Battle of Worcester. (Many would say that this was a blessing as it allowed for the wonderful mansion to be built that stands today).


1673 - Robert Berkeley (grandson of Sir Robert) started up a professional relationship with John Evelyn, the diarist and landscaper who helped him design the beautiful landscape that surrounds the house and garden.


1804 - Robert Berkeley (1764-1845) – later descendant of Sir Robert Berkeley inherited the estate.


1811 - Robert Berkeley embarked on the new house, designed by architect and builder John Tasker, together with gardens created in the ‘romantic’ style of the time, providing long vistas over the lake and sweeping lawns grazed by deer.


1834 - The lake was formed from the old Moat that surrounded the original Tudor house.


1891 - Robert Valentine Berkeley married Rose Willmott.


1897 - Rose and her sister Ellen began to transform the garden with long borders, densely packed planting and separate garden ‘rooms’.


1925 - Spetchley became one of the first gardens in the country to open its gates to visitors under the National Garden Scheme.


1999 - Major R G W Berkeley added the Millennium Garden within the Kitchen Garden.


2013 - The Revival Projects began, including new car park, welcome centre, rejuvenation of the garden lake, preservation of historic site lines, hedgerow and biodiversity enhancement, conversion of the cart sheds into a Heritage and Learning Centre and conservation of the 19th century Sovereign Coach.


Edward Elgar

Edward Elgar was a friend of the family, often staying in the Gardeners Cottage set within the grounds and enjoying fishing in the garden lake. He was so inspired by the garden that it is said that he penned parts of his masterpiece, the Dream of Gerontius, whilst staying here.


Spetchley was earmarked as the headquarters for Churchill and his war cabinet during WWII however he decided to stay in London and so it became a recuperation home for the US Air Force.


On Churchill's death 12 acorns that he had collected from his favourite oak at Blenheim were distributed to places that had a connection with Churchill. One came to Spetchley, and the oak is now growing on the Long Walk opposite the Cedar.

A row of tall pine trees against a blue sky

Revival Project

In 2013 we embarked on the Spetchley Revival Project, designed to protect and rejuvenate the heritage of the garden.

The initial stage involved the building of a new Car Park and Welcome Centre thanks to a grant from the RDPE.


We have also been very fortunate in obtaining a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to renovate the garden lake, convert the cart sheds into a Heritage Learning and Interpretation Centre where visitors can learn about the history of the garden, family, and landscape, and to conserve the 19th century Sovereign Coach. This was phase two of the project and we were delighted to officially open the Centre to visitors in June 2017.

The house, landscape and Gardens are now very much a legacy of one family's commitment to ensuring nature, beauty and longevity thrive at Spetchley.

The Spetchley Revival Project is a long-term project designed to invest in securing the Gardens for future generations to enjoy. It has been made possible by generous funding from donors including the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is an ever-changing garden and for the past four years has undergone a mini revival, including phase 1 which was the creation of a new garden entrance, car park, and Welcome Centre, completed in 2015 thanks to a grant from the RDPE.

Phase 2

Phase 2 centred on the heritage within the garden and park land, specifically focusing on;

The restoration of the garden lake to enhance its historic role in the designed landscape through dredging and re-aligning its boundaries.


Increasing physical access to the furthest points of interest within the parkland and deer park by creating a series of paths, planned walks and the introduction of a trailer service for schools and groups etc. driven by volunteers. This will increase the number and range of people who are able to enjoy the deer park.


Increasing and improving the interpretation of the park and gardens through the creation of new interpretation material.

Improved orientation signage for visitors.


The preservation of historic site lines and key views, involving the restoration of sunken hedges and the replanting of trees along the lines of C19 landscape maps.


Significant work to enhance hedgerows to the southern deer park boundary incorporating the gapping up of hedges with native woody species which will provide blossom/flowers and therefore increase pollen and nectar sources (which are generally lacking in the deer park currently). This work will enhance both the appearance and the biodiversity of the deer park.


Conservation of the 19th Century Sovereign Coach one of only 20 still in existence. This is on display in the Heritage Centre.

Create significant new opportunities for volunteering, in total the Revival Project is targeted to deliver 1,000 volunteer days, conserving the Sovereign Coach, enhancing the biodiversity within the garden and parkland.


Converting the Old Cart Sheds into a Heritage and Learning Centre to be complimented by the introduction of a new and coordinated education programme focused on the National Curriculum. The centre houses information from the Berkeley family archive. This allows visitors a greater understanding of the formation of the park and gardens, as well as the part the Berkeley family has played in its history.

An old horse drawn carriage is sitting in a barn.
A horse drawn carriage is parked in front of a brick building.
A horse drawn carriage is parked in front of a brick building.

The Heritage and Learning Centre

The Heritage and Learning Centre officially opened on 28th June and marked a major milestone in the redevelopment of the Gardens.

Using audio visual and touch screen technology, visitors to the Heritage Centre can learn more about the fascinating 400 year history of the Gardens and the Berkeley family’s influence over this wonderful garden and unspoilt 17th century landscape. The Centre includes previously unseen images from the Spetchley Park archives and there are family friendly games and costumes to ensure everyone has a fun and memorable visit.


The Gardens are also bringing together local community groups such as the Hardy Plant Society and the Spetchley Gardening Society and a programme of school workshops and talks are also in development.

A logo for the heritage lottery fund with a hand and a rainbow.
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