AWB Associates were appointed by Sir John Hall in late 2013 to bring to life his vision for a new public Rose Garden at Wynyard Hall, a flagship luxury hotel in the Tees Valley.  The rose garden formed part of our masterplan for the transformation of a large part of the grounds for new public access to this regionally iconic estate.  Our Marquee Garden was completed in the spring of 2013, and on completion of the Rose Garden we went on to design a new Edible Garden with glasshouse cafe. 

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The two acre Rose Garden is laid out according to the principles which have under-pinned the design of walled gardens for millennia, with babbling rills inspired by the enclosed oases of the Moorish tradition, colonnaded walks informed by the cloisters of ancient Roman courtyards, and bold raised square beds representing the cruciform layout of traditional productive crop-rotations.  

 

We worked closely with Michael Marriott of David Austin Roses in creating a collection of roses to inspire and delight.  The garden was planted by the in-house garden team between October 2014 and June 2015, with over 3000 roses arranged in careful colour co-ordinated groupings, combined with a tapestry of perennials and ornamental grasses.  The many ornamental grasses provide a hazy soft backdrop to the bold roses, while the perennials were carefully chosen to produce flowers which compliment the roses in colour and contrast with them in shape.  The large drifts of spires, dots and plumes therefore allow the bold form of the rose to hold centre stage. 

 

The highly successful shop and restaurant offers views up the sloping site, and from here the garden is set alight by the afternoon sun, which back-lights the plants to dramatic effect.  The Rose Garden has quickly established itself as a major destination, and welcomes visitors from throughout the UK.  In the current tradition of the contemporary country estate, the Rose Garden now makes a very valuable contribution to securing the sustainability of Wynyard Hall. 

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These beautiful photographs have been taken by, and are © Clive Nichols, Lee Beel and Howard Rice

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