The Buckinghamshire Gardens Trust has taken the opportunity of the Marnock celebrations to investigate three designs credited to him in the south of the county. We’re grateful to Claire de Carle, chair of the trust, for the following report:

‘Robert Marnock worked in South Buckinghamshire throughout the 1860s; the gardens he is known to have been involved with are: Hitcham House (formerly Blythewood), Berry Hill and Taplow Court, which form a cluster to the east of the River Thames. All three sites changed hands around 1852 due to the sale of the Taplow estate by the Earl of Orkney.

The new owners had made their money in business and therefore had sufficient funds to have their gardens created by one of the top designers of the day, Robert Marnock. They are located to the south of the better-known neighbouring estates of Cliveden and Dropmore. This area of Buckinghamshire was much sought after during the 18th and 19th centuries due to its proximity to Windsor Castle. There were also good connections by river and later the Great Western railway to London. It remains popular today with the M4 to the south. Despite considerable growth during the 20th century, the area has a rural feel, with Burnham Beeches to the north and the vast areas of parkland surrounding Dropmore. There is, however, a constant threat of development from Slough and Maidenhead, which continue to expand.

Of the three Marnock gardens, the one at Hitcham House is probably the best surviving, Berry Hill has suffered considerable neglect and it is still to be determined what Marnock did at Taplow Court.’

See our map of Marnock sites for more information provided by Claire on each of these three South Buckinghamshire gardens.