Idyllic English Gardens for the Whole Community
This award-winning 12-acre landscape for a midcentury housing complex outside London features woodlands and a lake
Kate Burt
September 16, 2016
Houzz UK. I'm a journalist and editor, previously for the Independent, Guardian and various magazines. I'm now excited to part of the editorial team at Houzz UK & Ireland, bringing the best of British and Irish design, interiors and architecture to Houzz.com.
Houzz UK. I'm a journalist and editor, previously for the Independent, Guardian and... More
The Templemere Estate in Surrey, England, was designed in 1963 by Eric Lyons & Partners for developer Span Housing. The company built 30 distinctive housing complexes, mainly in and around south London, between 1948 and 1984, and these are now in demand by fans of midcentury modern architecture — as much for their spacious, light-filled interiors as for their thoughtfully landscaped communal gardens.
Templemere is considered to be one of the best-maintained examples of a Span estate. A year after it was built, it gained a Civic Trust Award for its “outstanding contribution to the local scene.” Its gardens, which are managed and maintained by the Templemere Residents Society according to the original 1960s planting plans, are founded on parkland landscaped in the 18th century, and include woodlands and a manmade lake.
Templemere is considered to be one of the best-maintained examples of a Span estate. A year after it was built, it gained a Civic Trust Award for its “outstanding contribution to the local scene.” Its gardens, which are managed and maintained by the Templemere Residents Society according to the original 1960s planting plans, are founded on parkland landscaped in the 18th century, and include woodlands and a manmade lake.
Gardens at a Glance
Who lives here: There are 65 houses on the estate, and the gardens are communal.
Location: Weybridge, Surrey, England
Designer: Originally, the late Ivor Cunningham, a Span landscape architect; now maintained and managed by the Templemere Residents Society
Templemere resident Matthew Baxter is a former member of the Residents Society and the son of Warner Baxter, who worked with Eric Lyons.
“It was my father, in around 1960, who discovered this plot,” Baxter says. “He worked for Eric Lyons, the architect, and was on his way back from a site visit with Preben Jakobsen, a Danish landscape architect who also worked for Eric Lyons. They stopped at a petrol station and, out of curiosity, looked over its fence and saw this site.”
Who lives here: There are 65 houses on the estate, and the gardens are communal.
Location: Weybridge, Surrey, England
Designer: Originally, the late Ivor Cunningham, a Span landscape architect; now maintained and managed by the Templemere Residents Society
Templemere resident Matthew Baxter is a former member of the Residents Society and the son of Warner Baxter, who worked with Eric Lyons.
“It was my father, in around 1960, who discovered this plot,” Baxter says. “He worked for Eric Lyons, the architect, and was on his way back from a site visit with Preben Jakobsen, a Danish landscape architect who also worked for Eric Lyons. They stopped at a petrol station and, out of curiosity, looked over its fence and saw this site.”
Apart from one or two “magnificent” (and now protected) trees, Baxter says, most of it was wasteland. “There were the ruins of the great house that once stood on the site, and 12 acres of scrubland and loads of old tires that had been slung over the fence of the petrol station. The great trees were being stifled by self-seeded sycamores and brambles.”
Lyons’ company bought the site and developed it into Templemere — so named because there was a folly temple still standing in the grounds of the former house, overlooking Broad Water Lake, or “mere.”
“When they bought the estate,” Baxter continues, “they took out the sycamores, brambles and tires, but left the great trees and built the estate around them.” Lyons’ business partner, Ivor Cunningham, was responsible for the landscaping of the site, and Preben Jakobsen worked on the scheme. “The architecture and style of the landscape are indivisible,” Baxter adds.
“When they bought the estate,” Baxter continues, “they took out the sycamores, brambles and tires, but left the great trees and built the estate around them.” Lyons’ business partner, Ivor Cunningham, was responsible for the landscaping of the site, and Preben Jakobsen worked on the scheme. “The architecture and style of the landscape are indivisible,” Baxter adds.
“As well as respecting these wonderful specimen trees,” Baxter says, “[Cunningham and Jakobsen] kept almost a third of the plot still as woodland.”
“A lot of the reasoning behind that was pragmatic — it would have been very expensive to develop the land, as it slopes steeply,” Baxter says.
Interestingly, however, at the time the parkland was landscaped, the slope was designed to provide a vista across to the lake. The trees grew later, as nature took over the site.
Baxter describes the design as very “vista-centric. It’s a succession of viewpoints — some very bijou and some very broad ones.” It’s a nod to the 18th-century landscaped parkland, designed very much around such vistas.
Interestingly, however, at the time the parkland was landscaped, the slope was designed to provide a vista across to the lake. The trees grew later, as nature took over the site.
Baxter describes the design as very “vista-centric. It’s a succession of viewpoints — some very bijou and some very broad ones.” It’s a nod to the 18th-century landscaped parkland, designed very much around such vistas.
This image shows a view from the woodland and lake area back to the houses. Baxter says there’s space for about 200 houses, yet only 65 were built. The sense of space was key to the 1960s design vision.
“Wherever possible, we replace failing, overgrown specimens with similar,” says Baxter, “but in some cases, for example where overhanging trees have grown too big and the area has become shady, we try to use something else from the approved planting scheme.”
“Wherever possible, we replace failing, overgrown specimens with similar,” says Baxter, “but in some cases, for example where overhanging trees have grown too big and the area has become shady, we try to use something else from the approved planting scheme.”
Ground-cover plants are a repeated feature across the gardens. Under this tree is some ornamental ivy. Other plants and ground covers used in the gardens include camas, English yew, euonymus, ‘Hidcote’ lavender, pyracantha, senecio, St. Johnswort, summer hyacinth and vinca, another ground cover. “Preben’s dream was to cover the world in vinca,” Baxter says, laughing.
He says that some of the Span estates follow the original planting plans religiously, and at Templemere, the Residents Society has done its best. “We’re all respectful and mindful of what it’s about, but the reality is that the climate has changed and we’ve lost some grand trees in storms, which changes the vistas. But overall, it’s been pretty lovingly maintained in line with the original design.”
He says that some of the Span estates follow the original planting plans religiously, and at Templemere, the Residents Society has done its best. “We’re all respectful and mindful of what it’s about, but the reality is that the climate has changed and we’ve lost some grand trees in storms, which changes the vistas. But overall, it’s been pretty lovingly maintained in line with the original design.”
“The planting features hardly any flowers; this is a key part of the design aesthetic,” Baxter continues. “I think the designers were thinking of plants as sculptural, as opposed to a series of species — using them to reveal surprises and make shapes.”
One of the few flowering plants featured is ‘Annabelle’ smooth hydrangea, seen here. Other shrubs include ‘Aurea’ black elderberry; barberry, butterfly bush, climbing hydrangea, Cornelian cherry, Juneberry, laurel, pampas grass, phormium, pyracantha, redtwig dogwood, rhododendron, Russian olive, snowberry and veronica.
One of the few flowering plants featured is ‘Annabelle’ smooth hydrangea, seen here. Other shrubs include ‘Aurea’ black elderberry; barberry, butterfly bush, climbing hydrangea, Cornelian cherry, Juneberry, laurel, pampas grass, phormium, pyracantha, redtwig dogwood, rhododendron, Russian olive, snowberry and veronica.
Pictured are some of the silver birch trees in the gardens. “Silver birch is something you see on a lot of Span estates,” Baxter says. “The color schemes and textures of the houses reflect the silver birch. The front of each house features smooth white and rough black brick — just like the rough black and smooth white of the trees.”
Other trees planted either in the 1960s or more recently at Templemere include black locust, holly, honey locust, mountain ash, tree of heaven and a few ornamental cherry trees. There were also existing silver birch trees retained when the site was developed by Span, along with cedars, sequoias and sycamores.
Other trees planted either in the 1960s or more recently at Templemere include black locust, holly, honey locust, mountain ash, tree of heaven and a few ornamental cherry trees. There were also existing silver birch trees retained when the site was developed by Span, along with cedars, sequoias and sycamores.
This image shows the front door of one of the houses, photographed in the spring and shaded by cherry blossoms.
“Span Developments was the first to create communal gardens like this for ordinary houses, where the inside-outside element — i.e., one as a continuum of the other — was so important,” Baxter says. “[The company] also thought about the landscape as something you could use, not just as something to walk across.
“Front gardens here are officially part of the communal parkland,” Baxter adds. “I think it takes a special kind of person to give up that ‘Englishman’s castle’ attitude to your front garden.” And he loves the effect the communal gardens have on life at Templemere.
He highlights the woodland as a feature that particularly encourages community spirit. “We have ‘woods days’ once every month, where everyone gets together and does a little woods husbandry, which ends in a barbecue, and we all get to chat. [A professional gardener helps to maintain the landscaped areas.] You also see people go down in the mornings with their dogs, or in the evenings in little groups with a bottle of wine.”
He says it’s especially good for children. “My kids are growing up seeing woodpeckers and grass snakes. We also have ‘our’ fox — he’s not nicking from our bins; he’s eating stuff that lives in the woods. It’s amazing really when you consider how built up we are round here. He listens to the radio with us. And our cats have a very varied diet!”
“Front gardens here are officially part of the communal parkland,” Baxter adds. “I think it takes a special kind of person to give up that ‘Englishman’s castle’ attitude to your front garden.” And he loves the effect the communal gardens have on life at Templemere.
He highlights the woodland as a feature that particularly encourages community spirit. “We have ‘woods days’ once every month, where everyone gets together and does a little woods husbandry, which ends in a barbecue, and we all get to chat. [A professional gardener helps to maintain the landscaped areas.] You also see people go down in the mornings with their dogs, or in the evenings in little groups with a bottle of wine.”
He says it’s especially good for children. “My kids are growing up seeing woodpeckers and grass snakes. We also have ‘our’ fox — he’s not nicking from our bins; he’s eating stuff that lives in the woods. It’s amazing really when you consider how built up we are round here. He listens to the radio with us. And our cats have a very varied diet!”
This view shows a black locust stooping over the main green at Templemere, close to the entrance. “It’s the largest expanse of grass on the estate, and it was designed — and is used — as a social gathering place rather than to be a perfectly manicured, pretty lawn. We’re reviving our Dads and Kids Camping Night soon, which takes place on the green. We also have a family day, with games and cakes and so on, where we use it to put up a big [tent].”
All in all, the gardens are clearly a huge part of what makes this a very special place to live. As Baxter says, “It’s beautiful! Out of one set of windows in our house, I’m looking across to the landscaped area — the Jakobsen formal parkland. Then, on the other side, I’m looking down to the woods that slope down to the lake.”
“It feels as if you’re in some idyllic village,” he adds. “We feel very privileged to live here.”
More: England’s Most Famous Garden Designer Has These Tips for You
More: England’s Most Famous Garden Designer Has These Tips for You
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When your home is surrounded by a forest or a lake, Mother Nature is your loving neighbor and that would be awesome!
Just came across this article today and it was fascinating to read, what a fabulous development to live in.