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Background
Denzell Gardens and The Devisdale
sadly fell into neglect between
1980 and the late 1990s. It
wasn't until the formation of
the Friends' Group work began
to restore Denzell Gardens and
The Devisdale to their former
glory.
The work still
continues today and below are
some of the current projects
the Committee is currently involved
in bringing to fruition.
The Lych Gate
Restoration
The word 'Lych' survived into
modern English from the Old
English or Saxon word for corpse.
In the Middle Ages when most
people were buried in just shrouds
rather than coffins, the dead
were carried to the Lych gate
and placed on a bier, where
the priest conducted the first
part of the funeral service
under its temporary shelter.
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The
Lych Gate was in desperate
need of funding in order
to restore it to its former
glory
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| The distinctive
black and white Lych Gate at the
entrance to Denzell Gardens from
Green Walk, Bowdon, has been a
target for vandals in the past,
and we finally raised enough funding
to restore the broken door and
bench, and refurbish the rest,
though work is still needed on
the roof. The doors are always
open and lead in to the Bowling
Green, the Sunken Garden, and
Denzell House. |
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The Sunken
Garden
Initiated by committee members,
the new garden was funded by an
'Awards for All' Lottery Fund
Grant, with similar funding from
Friends of Denzell and The Devisdale's
own funds. The task that lay ahead
was daunting to say the least
and the brief complex.
In the summer
of 2009, the garden was officially
opened by celebrity weatherman
Fred Talbot following years
of hard work and toil led by
committee members and garden
designers Chris Baker and Shirley
Fidler. And, in its second year,
the Sunken Garden was awarded
'Outstanding, level 5' in the
RHS 'North-West in Bloom'.
The garden design
is elegant and vibrant and boasts
a wonderful collection of native
and uncommon plant species that
offer year round interest. Shirley
Fidler, Chris Banker and a band
of volunteers continue to ensure
the garden is kept in pristine
condition.
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The
Sunken Garden Before
The
garden was overpowered
by several large conifers
which restricted sunlight
creating an oppressively
gloomy atmosphere
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The
Sunken Garden After
The Sunken Garden
has been transformed from
a building site to one
that offers a wonderful
array of flora and foliage
in a peaceful and tranquil
setting
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The
Wildlife Pond
The pond was created in early
2008 and its 'community' continues
to settle down and mature. As
mud builds up in the shallows
at the back, emergent plants
like Flag Iris and Water Plantain
will become stronger.
Fred Ives, former Head Gardener
of Denzell Gardens, is the only
person lucky enough to have
spotted a Great Crested Newt
basking in the sunshine at the
edge of the pond during the
summer of 2009.
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The
Wildlife Pond was designed
specifically to encourage
creatures such as the
Common Newt
who is now seen frequently
at the site
during the warmer months
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| The main concerns
around the pond are to control
the Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan
Balsam as these tend to take over
which, in turn, means the biological
diversity will ultimately be affected. |
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Interpretation
Board
An interpretation board,
funded by proceeds from the
Friends was recently installed
to help with plant identification
and custom-designed handrails,
funds for which were provided
by Community Foundation have
recently been added to assist
in the descent to the garden.
More seating is needed for those
who are unable to negotiate
the steps and so the work continues.
The Peace Garden
The Peace Garden sits between
Denzell Gardens and The Devisdale,
next to The Woodland Garden.
A
Snowdrop colony was planted
in March 2010. Interestingly,
everyone regards the Snowdrop
as a native plant but this emblematic
flower's native home is actually
the mountains of central and
southern Europe. Its delicate
display of hardy beauty signifying
to many the first signs of spring
secured its appeal and its ultimate
transportation to our shores
several hundred years ago.
Further
planting to complement the current
backdrop of trees and bulbs
has taken place on several occasions
since; school children helped
to plant thousands more Snowdrops,
also Aconites, Narcissi and
Cyclamen. The objective behind
the scheme is to further encourage
wildlife to the area and to
offer an open space to the public
where time can be spent enjoying
a variety of plant species such
as native Bluebells, Snakes
Head Fritillaries, Daffodils
and flowering trees.
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| The Snowdrop |
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The
wee white flo'er
pushes through deep
broon erth,
it fills me wi'
gladness
the sight o' this
birth.
It struggles so
hard
agin the sleet and
the snaw
but noo sae bonnie,
sae braw
This herald o' Spring
Penni
Currie
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The Boundary
Walls
The restoration of the boundary
wall in the northeast corner of
Denzell Gardens is the latest
project to be undertaken by the
Committee. Chairman John Lloyd
and committee member Mike Sanderson
will be working together in the
upcoming months to identify other
parts of the boundary wall which
also need attention. |
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Neglect
over the years to the
boundary walls means restoration
is now imperative
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