Inspiration from the Victorians
The Victorians laid out the garden along the Glen Goyle, as the history pages tell us:
The 1888 map shows that the lower part of the stream was dammed in several places to create pools and waterfalls…
History of Glen Goyle – Friends of Glen Goyle
The Victorians were also very keen plant collectors:
Much of the South West is peppered with the findings of Victorian plant hunters, from gardens of world renown to secret little glens. The climate on the peninsular is ideal for the exotic specimens brought back from all corners of the globe – and the micro-climate of Glen Goyle seems particularly suited to some wonderful plantings.
Plant hunting – Friends of Glen Goyle
The Veitch Nurseries in Exeter were pivotal in this endeavour:
Under James Veitch the nursery expanded, and began employing plant hunters to bring back exotic plants from abroad. In 1832 he gave apprenticeships to William and Thomas Lobb, which included sending them off around the world to look for plant and tree specimens to bring home..
The Veitch Nurseries – Friends of Glen Goyle
All this is great inspiration for the ‘restoration’ of the Glen Goyle:
Taste in the late Victorian period varied between formal and the “wild” garden advocated by the influential writer William Robinson. Sometimes the formal and informal looks were combined in the same garden, as at Sissinghurst Castle (Kent), and Hidcote Manor Gardens (Gloucestershire).