Appeal...

PLANS have been unveiled to restore an Edwardian Lake District garden which could become one of the most popular and important in South Lakeland.

A team has been working to raise £1.5 million to restore Thomas Mawson's terraced garden at Rydal Hall, and open a visitors' centre and tearoom.

When the scheme is finished, the gardens will be open to the public, and it is hoped they will become a well-known destination for walkers.

Rydal Hall is owned by the Diocese of Carlisle and is used for retreats, conferences and training. It is run by a small team of paid staff and a large number of volunteers from all over the world.

The hall, which dates back to the 1500s, underwent its last major development in 1840. Over the years, the gardens were looked after by the owners, the Le Fleming family, painted by many artists including John Constable, and admired by William Wordsworth.

In 1909, Stanley Hughes Le Fleming commissioned Thomas Mawson, of the Lakeland Landscape Design practice in Windermere, to design a terraced garden in the new classical style.

Mawson's design still exists, but the planting has deteriorated, and many of the structures are unsafe for public access.

The garden included some of the earliest examples of pre-cast concrete in formal garden design, including 48 urns and balustrades. Some of the urns have disappeared over the years, but there is one of each design still available so they can be replaced, and some of the original moulds for the pre-cast concrete work have been discovered.

Now the gardens are to be restored, and the team of fund-raisers behind the project reckon they are just £50,000 off the target. They hope to attract European money for the tearoom and visitors' centre.

Once the gardens are finished, they will be open to the public free of charge on condition that visitors respect the peace and quiet of the hall as a place of retreat.

Chairman of Cumbria Tourist Board and host of Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time Eric Robson attended an official open day to give the restoration plan his backing.

"It's a magnificent garden probably the finest example of Mawson left.

"Sadly Mawson is not very well known except to gardening enthusiasts. He was a remarkable designer who did a huge amount of work.

"Garden fashions change but this has managed to stay against the odds. It's a great achievement to raise the huge amounts of money involved to make sure it continues and will be interpreted for future generations."

Thomas Mawson's grandson, David Mawson, was also at the launch. He said his grandfather was always keen to be involved in public garden projects and had created a number of parks.

"He would have been delighted to know that this scheme was going to be open to the public."

It is hoped that because of the hall's position between Ambleside and Grasmere, and the popularity of the footpath known as the Coffin Trail, people will visit the garden on foot or by bike, or public transport, and it will not add to traffic problems.

Chairman of the appeal, the Bishop of Penrith, the Rt Rev James Newcome, said he hoped the gardens would help the church in its aim to be involved with the community, and should also generate jobs.

l For further information on the appeal tel 015394-32050.