A SIGN OF THE TIMES

Inspired by the historic house and setting at Park House in Cambridgeshire, landscape architect Robert Myers has woven together traditional and contemporary design elements to create a haven for people, plants and wildlife

- ZIA ALLAWAY

When tasked with upgrading the landscape surrounding Park House near Cambridge, Robert Myers’ aims were to create a flower-filled contemporary garden that supported the local wildlife, while staying true to the historic setting. But he could not have foreseen that his design would have an additional benefit for owners, Sharon and David Smith, who developed a new-found passion for plants and love of nature while caring for their restored garden during the Covid lockdowns.

The couple’s Grade II-listed house was built in 1854 in the Gothic Revival style, and was originally surrounded by formal gardens that led on to an orchard and extensive parkland, some of which has now been sold off. Robert’s brief was to create a new garden that would be sympathetic to the historic house, while offering David, Sharon and their three children spaces to relax, entertain and play. “We also worked closely with architects Cowper Griffiths to integrate the gardens with the new kitchen extension and pool house they had designed,” explains Robert.

Taking his cue from the bold glass-fronted extension, which blends a contemporary structure with the period architecture, Robert’s design of the outdoor space is also a marriage of the old and the new. “When we first arrived on site, the lawn at the back of the house looked more like a field than a garden, and I wondered if the original designs could offer us any inspiration. I discovered Ordinance Survey maps of the property dating back to the late 19th century, which showed a diagonal path running from the house, through the formal gardens to the park beyond, and decided to reference this historic route in the new design.”