What happened to the rhododendron bushes?
Back in 2009 a proportion of rhododendron plants were diagnosed with an incurable fungal disease called Phytophthora ramorum. All of the plants affected were removed – as is required by law – and those free of the disease were left.
Over time however, the areas where the old bushes once stood left the surviving rhododendrons exposed to the wind and their canopies acted as sails, lifting the roots and making them unstable. Unfortunately we can’t replant the area with the same species due to the high Phytophthora risk.
Could nothing be done to save them?
The decision wasn’t one taken lightly and we kept the rhododendrons for as long as we could. There were two factors at play – the size of the bushes; over the years they had grown much larger than is usual for the species – and their shallow roots; they’d also grown in soil which is very close to bedrock and their roots were no longer able to support their size.
Opening up historical views
When the rhododendrons were originally planted they would have been small, squat specimens that framed the villa as seen from the lake without impacting on the view from the villa up to the Fairfield Horseshoe. Over time they had grown so large that any view from the house lawn was lost. That original vista has now been restored, just as Colonel Ridehalgh intended.