Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Flower Garden laid out to the south of Ingress Abbey. It is assumed that the garden was laid out to adorn the south front of the current Ingress Abbey, shortly after 1833. In the 1930's the land was redeveloped into a number of tennis courts.

Monument Types

• FLOWER GARDEN (Post Medieval to Modern - 1833 AD? to 1930 AD? (between))
• FOUNTAIN (Post Medieval to Modern - 1833 AD to 1930 AD (at some time))

Associated Finds

• POTTERY ASSEMBLAGE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1780 AD to 1930 AD)

Full description

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Also termed the Back Flower Garden, the Debois survey dates the laying out of the garden to before 1841, closely associating it with the newly built Ingress Abbey. The survey refers to other features south of the house which may have formed part of this garden, a landscaped dell, a timber Holm Oak and on the western side, a large statue base (seen clearly on the 1st edition OS map) and the remains of a rockery [1].
The second edition map shows no detail, just footpaths, which suggests that the garden layout may have changed by this date.
Archaeological evaluation work as part of the recent redevelopment of the park, found elements of garden design in all four evaluation trenches, so the entire area was stripped to expose the archaeological horizon. This horizon was sealed by layers of overburden including the tarmaced surface of the tennis courts that had been built over the area in the 1930's. It also became clear that the area had been turned over prior to the laying of the tennis courts, destroying any subtle features of the garden layout and truncating the surviving features.
Despite this five elements of the ornamental gardens were identified:
Paths: Two paths were recorded, one running north-south and the other east-west, meeting south of the fountain. They divide the garden into three areas. The north-south path ran directly from the steps of the patio behind the house, supporting the association with the 1833 house. The east-west path may have formed the southern boundary of the garden, however the site is more truncated south of this path and any features have been lost. The paths were constructed from channels filled with rammed chalk blocks, covered in gravels to form a well drained surface.
The Fountain: Only a circular pad of reused bricks survived from the feature identified on the first OS map as a fountain. These were interpreted as being below ground level, due to their lack of stylistic or decorative arrangement. The fountain was fed by a brick culvert running downhill under the central path towards the fountain.
Decorative Gravel: Close to the house flanking the central path, were two circular patches of rammed chalk, which have been interpreted as the bases for decorative areas of gravel.
Flowerbeds: Also flanking the central path were two circular patches of dark earth, interpreted as flowerbeds.
Other plantings: Concentrated along the sides of the paths, regimented holes in the ground had been left by small plantings (only noted during the evaluation).
At the south end of the site the base of a large quarry cut had been levelled off as part of the garden landscaping.
The only finds recovered were a few small china and flowerpot fragments, dating activity in the area to between 1780 and 1930.
It is also noted that due to the evolving nature of gardens, the layout recorded may show more of an early twentieth century influence rather than a late Georgian [2 and 3].

<1> Debois Landscape Survey Group, 1999, Ingress Abbey, Greenhithe, Kent A record of the landscape. (Unpublished document). SKE12236.

<2> AOC Archaeology Group, 2000, An Archaeological Recording Action at the Flower Garden, Ingress Abbey, Greenhithe, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE12249.

<3> AOC Archaeology Group, 2004, Results Of Archaeological Excavation And Recording At Ingress Abbey, Greenhithe, Kent (Unpublished document). SKE12239.

Sources and further reading

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