James Pulham and Son revolutionised garden design in the Victorian era with an invention that brought Italian romance to England. Keri Jordan unearths the history of the Broxbourne company and a major project to preserve its legacy
IF you’ve enjoyed spending a sunny afternoon wandering around the grounds of a stately home or public park in the county, chances are you’ve experienced the enchantment of a rock garden, grotto or folly designed by James Pulham and Son.
More than 170 sites around the UK and at least 30 prominent gardens in Hertfordshire, including High Leigh in Hoddesdon, Bedwell Park in Essendon, Danesbury in Welwyn and Poles Park near Ware, feature the distinctive man-made rock creations that the Pulhams became renowned for during almost a century of trading.
In 1810, James Pulham was working alongside his younger brother, Obadiah, as an apprentice stone modeller for the J&W Lockwood building company in Woodbridge, Suffolk. Then, when the organisation opened a London branch, he became the manager and began trading under the Pulham name in 1834 after William Lockwood retired.
Obadiah went to work in Hertford for Thomas Smith, the county architect and surveyor for Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. One of his projects involved building a vast Norman folly at Benington Lordship, near Stevenage, and James was commissioned to assist in the construction process. They applied their artistry and building skills to make the new brickwork look like medieval stone weathered by the elements.
James died in 1838, shortly after the project was completed, and his son, another James, took over the company. He moved the business premises to Hoddesdon, where he was able to take on more projects with Obadiah and Thomas Smith, as well as develop his own client base.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2017 من Hertfordshire Life.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2017 من Hertfordshire Life.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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