New Visions 1950 to date
Maynard Greville, himself a noted arboriculturalist, decided to create an arboretum in the Gardens, fully intending to extend this over much of the Italian and Japanese Gardens, although in the end they actually disappeared under brambles and saplings. He demolished the Victorian mansion and planted silver birch on the foundations. He handed over the lakes to the then newly-formed Dunmow Fishing Club which has continued to use and maintain that part of the Estate (separately from the Gardens). Maynard Greville died in 1960, leaving the Estate to his daughter, Felice Spurrier. In the 1960’s, Mrs Spurrier sold the remaining buildings on the estate to Charlie Wearn, a local man dealing in architectural salvage, who took ownership despite the fact that Maynard Greville had already overseen the removal of much of the formal gardens and the sale of the statuary, Ham & York stone paving, urns, etc. Mr Wearn did attempt a restoration project on the remaining buildings but it was never completed.
In 1971, Brian & Diana Creasey bought the West Wing that had remained unoccupied for more than 30 years, together with 1½ acres of land including the 17th century dovecote. Though greeted by 6ft tall brambles, briars, nettles and a concrete jungle, over the next twenty years the Creaseys managed to create beautiful & atmospheric gardens, successfully incorporating restoration of the old with elements of their own design. In 1985, they opened their gardens to visitors under the National Gardens Scheme.
In 1993, and after several failed attempts, they personally acquired a further 4½ acres of the grounds for restoration. Then, in 1995, with the permission of the owners, the Creaseys and a small but willing army of professional and amateur volunteers began the monumental task of fully restoring the 23-acre Gardens of Easton Lodge.
In 2003, The Gardens of Easton Lodge Preservation Trust was formed and in 2004 it became a registered charity (nr 1101442).
Its aims are:
- to conserve and restore these Gardens for the benefit of the public
- to protect the wildlife in and surrounding the Gardens
- to promote greater community understanding and enjoyment of the site.
In 2004, and after 400+ years of ownership, the Spurriers sold off the 1600-acre estate to Land Securities plc, the largest property company in the UK.
The Gardens now face possibly their greatest challenge yet in the form of a planned second runway at nearby Stansted Airport. This initial expansion plan first emerged in July 2002 when the Department of Transport published proposals for consultation that included building three new runways at Stansted. This proposal was changed in 2003 to the construction of one extra runway. The application for this second runway was submitted in Summer 2007. A decision is expected in Spring 2008.
Under the current proposal, which is still in dispute, we understand that the point of aircraft take- off from this runway would fall approximately 700 yds from our boundary. For more information, please refer to the Stop Stansted Expansion Campaign www.stopstanstedexpansion.com.
With Brian & Diana Creasey retiring from the day-to-day running of the Gardens at the end of April 2008 (although still remaining in Warwick House), The Preservation Trust will take over that role as of 1st May 2008.
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After Daisy 1939-1950
After Daisy’s death in 1938, the estate was inherited by her son Maynard Greville who lived nearby in Little Canfield. He shared neither his mother’s beliefs in Socialism nor her interest in the formal Gardens and consequently they began to succumb to nature. However, in 1939, the War Office requisitioned Easton Lodge for use by the Army and the Home Guard. In 1942/43, thousands of estate trees were felled (and blown up) to enable its use as an airfield and in 1943 the 386th Bomber group, the ‘Crusaders’ of the US Air Force, took up residence. Many of their Marauder aircraft based here were involved in the bombing of the Utah landing beaches in Normandy prior to the troops’ arrival on D-Day in June 1944.
The 386th then moved to France and the RAF 190 and 620 Squadrons were billeted throughout the estate. Their major operation was the breakthrough into Germany, the Rhine crossing, flying Stirlings and towing Horsa gliders.
After VE Day, the RAF also moved on, and Easton Lodge became home to 21 VRD RASC. At one time, there were up to 34,000 vehicles parked on the Estate which the Army occupied until 1950 when it was returned to its owner, Maynard Greville.
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Early 20th Century Easton Lodge
Early in the 20th century, guests at Easton Lodge included George Bernard Shaw, Gustav Holst, Ramsay McDonald and HG Wells, whose family lived in one of the estate properties. He, in turn, received visits from such notables as Dame Ellen Terry, AA Milne and Charlie Chaplin.
In 1918, another fire severely damaged the Jacobean wings of the house. The fire is thought to have been started by one of the Countess’ pet monkeys. Major portions of the Estate were auctioned in 1919/20 and outlying parts had already been sold in the 1890’s. The Jacobean wing of the house was rebuilt after this second fire, and the Countess, having been widowed in 1924, eventually moved into the West Wing where she remained with her beloved animals until her death in 1938.
In 1923, Daisy offered the whole estate to the Labour Party – they declined. She stood for Parliament as Labour candidate for Leamington & Warwick but lost out to Anthony Eden. Such was her commitment that in 1926 she then offered the entire estate to the TUC who were very keen to accept. Plans were made to develop Easton Lodge into a college and university but, after the General Strike in 1926 through which the TUC’s funds were severely depleted, the arrangement had to be abandoned as they were no longer able to finance such an institution.
A life-long protector of animals, Daisy also offered the estate to London Zoo but, as they had already acquired Whipsnade, they too declined. In 1937, the Countess established a country nature reserve on the estate, which became home to 200 red and fallow deer, 900 St Kilda sheep, Shetlands ponies, and aviaries for her increasing numbers of bird species.
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Harold Peto’s Role
In 1902, the Gardens underwent their most radical change yet when the Countess commissioned Harold Peto to redesign them. The son of Sir Morton Peto, the engineer and railway magnate, he grew up at Somerleyton Hall on the Suffolk coast, surrounded by splendid gardens laid out by the eminent Victorian designer William Nesfield.
Harold Peto originally trained as an architect and, at one time, employed Edward Lutyens and Herbert Baker as assistants in his business partnership with Ernest George. But it was as a designer that Harold Peto was to create some of the most notable Edwardian gardens in England. He brought to Easton Lodge a passion for Italianate and French design that he wove innovatively into the setting of the English countryside. He introduced strong architectural features including balustrades, stone columns, capitols and terraces. He created formal lawns, a yew walk, intricate wooden pergolas, a Japanese Garden, and a ‘pleached’ lime avenue with its own tree-house.
His designs at Easton Lodge are the only ones to be found in East Anglia and are considered one of the foremost examples of his work in the United Kingdom. Here, he was given the freest hand and an unlimited budget, and the Japanese Gardens (inspired by his visit to Japan in 1898) were the largest that he created.
Through Peto’s design, The Gardens of Easton Lodge became a series of skilfully-linked scenes, each with its own unique character, greatly feted and much photographed. They inspired many, including designers Beatrix Farrand and Percy Cane.
Most of Peto’s other designs are in the West Country although he also designed at Garinish Island, County Cork and in some privately owned villas on the French Riviera. His own garden, Iford Manor near Bradford-on-Avon, is privately owned but open to the public on a regular basis.
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The ‘Daisy’ Years 1865-1938
In 1865, following the deaths of both her father and grandfather in quick succession, Frances ‘Daisy’ Maynard inherited the estate of Easton Lodge. She was just three years old. She grew up to be a noted beauty of considerable wealth and was courted by many suitors. Even Disraeli encouraged a union between Daisy and Prince Leopold, the youngest son of Queen Victoria but instead Daisy accepted an offer of marriage from one of the Prince’s closest friends, Lord Brooke. He was destined to inherit the title of Earl of Warwick and Daisy’s fortune provided much-needed support for his estate. With Prince Leopold as best man, the couple wed at Westminster Abbey and settled, not at their London home in St James, but here at Easton Lodge.
As the Countess of Warwick, Daisy became an iconic leader in society, not least because of her 9-year liaison with Edward, Prince of Wales. She devised lavish and extravagant entertainment for the Prince’s entourage, known as the Marlborough Set.
However, alongside her life within this grand social scene, the Countess continued to play an increasingly active role in the welfare of the local community, with particular emphasis on educational reform, and especially for women.
By the end of the 19th century, the Countess had commissioned many gardens within the 4-acre grounds of her cottage Stone Hall, situated at the far side of the deer park. These were designed in the formal and vibrantly coloured Victorian style of the day, and included The Garden of Friendship, The Border of Sentiment, The Rosarie, Shakespeare’s Border, the Scripture Garden and the Rock Garden.
Even though the Countess of Warwick is inextricably associated with high society and immense wealth, in fact she had, by the end of the 19th century, given her life over to Socialism and was deep in debt. The transformation to Socialism had taken place after stinging criticism from and lengthy discussions with Robert Blatchford, the then editor of the left-wing paper, The Clarion. The attack on her lifestyle followed a particularly extravagant social event at Warwick Castle in 1895, the Bal Poudre.
It was her enthusiasm for the Socialist cause and pacifism that ultimately severed Daisy’s links with royalty and The Establishment.
The Countess wrote many books, including one based on her gardens at Stone Hall, called “An Old English Garden”, one on William Morris, a wildlife book and even the introduction for one on cats entitled “Mieaou”. She also wrote two autobiographies.
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Early History
The Gardens, grounds and whole estate of Easton Lodge
date back to Tudor times. It is believed that, in 1590, Elizabeth I granted the 10,000 acre Manor of Estaines to Henry Maynard as a reward for his duties as Private Secretary to the Lord Chancellor and Treasurer to the Queen. After demolishing a hunting lodge in the deer park, known as Easton Lodge, Maynard constructed an Elizabethan ‘H’ ground-plan mansion, similar to but smaller than Blickling Hall in Norfolk.
From the early 17th century onwards, the grounds and the house developed more or less with the fashion of the times and bore strong influences from the Continent. For example, the pastureland became a late example of a ‘patte d’oie’ design, where three tree-lined avenues radiate out from a central point, in the manner of a ‘goose-foot’. It was really only in the 19th century that further significant alterations were carried out.
In 1847, almost the whole of the Elizabethan part of the mansion was destroyed by fire. Although uninsured, the property was rebuilt in Victorian Gothic style at a cost of £12,000. This project was to be the last, before his death, of Thomas Hopper, architect of Wivenhoe Park in Essex.
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