Heatwave Reveals ‘Lost’ 17th Century Garden Design Under Parched Grass

Heatwave reveals historic garden design – Chatsworth House / SWNS The outline of a ‘lost’ 17th century garden has been revealed at a stately British home following the record heatwave and long drought. Beneath the parched grass was an ornate garden design being rediscovered after more than 350 years at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. It turns out, the ornamental arrangement of flower beds and paths known as ‘The Great Parterre’ was created for the 1st Duke of Devonshire around 1699 and built along the south façade of the English estate. The elaborate, perfectly symmetrical garden measured 473-ft-long (144m) by 227-ft wide (69m), all of which followed the fashion of the day for formal gardens. It only flourished for 30 years before being covered over and replaced with a new design around 1730. A spokesperson for Chatsworth House Trust said after temperatures exceeded 30°C (86°F) in May, June and July, and with the “exceptionally dry” start to July, the lawn was “parched enough for history to reveal itself once again”. Recent record high temperatures and long periods without rain have revealed the outline of an ornate 17th-century garden design on Chatsworth’s South Lawn – SWNS / Chatsworth House They further explained:
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