Topiary came into fashion in Britain following its introduction to Hampton Court in the 1590s. The Chastleton topiary has probably been replanted three times with its peak coming in the early 20th century. During this time, it was regularly clipped into shapes including a cat, teapot, snail, chicken and peacock among many other designs. However, by the 1970s the topiary was being clipped only once a year and eventually lost their distinct shapes.
A project is underway to bring the Best Garden back to a version of what it might have looked like at the turn of the 20th century. Flower beds, in and around the central circular feature, have been re-cut and planted up and now we wait to see how it matures and grows over the coming years.
Anyone for Croquet?
Standing on the north terrace you will see the croquet lawns. It’s interesting to think about the games that have been played here and how they have reflected changing fashions. For example, in the Jacobean times, these lawns were used to play bowls on and it was popular enough to warrant the building of a viewing terrace to watch games being played.