Marks Hall Gardens and Arboretum
In 1163 the manor house and estate of Markshall were granted to the Markshall family after being confiscated from Hugh de Essex. They descended in the Markshall family until the estate was sold to John Cole, who renovated parts of the house. It was then sold to Edward Deraugh in 1581. In 1605 Robert Honywood purchased Marks Hall from Deraugh's grandson, William, pulled down part of the old timber framed house and built a new brick building in 1609.
The estate then descended in the Honywood family to John Lamotte Honywood who, dying childless in 1694, left it to his cousin Robert. Robert, the MP for Essex, modernised the house and died in 1735. Several generations later it passed to Philip Honywood and then via his cousin, Filmer Honywood, the MP for Kent to Frances Emma, who died unmarried at Marks Hall in 1895.
Thomas Phillips Price (1844-1932), a Welsh landowner, mine owner, and Liberal politician, purchased Marks Hall, then a mansion and deer park, at auction in 1898. He made provision in his Will to leave the Marks Hall estate to the nation in the interest of agriculture, arboriculture and forestry. During the Second World War, Earls Colne Airfield was built on the edge of the deer park and much of the property requisitioned for used as the headquarters for a number of local airfields. The 97th Bombardment Wing headquarters was initially located at the manor. By 1949, the mansion was neglected and said to be in a dangerous state, and was demolished in 1950.
The Marks Hall Estate is now the site of gardens and an arboretum, and this was our first visit, primarily to see the (hopefully) autumn colours.
View across the first lake we came to. Legend has it that these lakes were dug by Cromwell's men during the siege of Colchester 1648. Today they are well stocked with coarse fish which were swimming just below the surface, expecting food I guess.
One of our first `finds` was this little fellow, watching us from above
A different view along the walled garden side of the lake.
The beautiful Edith Holden rose.
We were surprised by the number of Greylag geese in the garden
Vivid red leaves at the base of a tree
Looking back down the first lake
Some images in the walled garden. Probable my favourite area.
A few fungi about, but actually not many about as I would expect. The ones I have seen elsewhere, were rather early I thought.
More Greylag geese
Eucalyptus in Gondwanaland - This was the ancient super continent that formed the evolutionary cradle for the vegetation of South America, the Indian Subcontinents and Australasia.
At Marks Hall they have developed the area of Gondwanaland for Southern Hemisphere species. It is situated in an area that was devastated by the 1987 hurricane. It is an undulating landscape of low mounds, which are sheltered on the western edge by the planting of Nothofagus (southern beech). Since the start of development in 1999, 200 Eucalyptus trees have been planted and on warm days the oil aroma provides a heady scent.
The Marks Hall Estate is home to some fine veteran trees. One tree, the Honeywood Oak is around 700-years-old, making it the oldest on the estate. Having stood on the estate for so many years, it has, in its time seen numerous monarchs, wars and increases in population.
The tree is not just important historically, but also for wildlife. The damaged areas have become home to countless creatures, where it almost acts as another world for them. Some creatures live in the tree and never have to go anywhere else.
One side of this veteran tree looks like dead wood, but the tree is still sending out new branches all the time. The tree is managing its decline by producing areas of dead wood, dropping branches over the years and rotting back. The tree wants a much smaller canopy and with the help of the Marks Hall estate they can help the tree achieve this, by keeping the canopy back and encouraging healthy young shoots to produce.
Near to the cafe there is an iron bridge which initially I missed. However, it seems it was built at the turn of the 19th century by Sir Filmar Honeywood who carried out a lot of work in the gardens. It was restored in 1992 and new cast iron work was produced by a local foundry to replace some missing parts.
A great place to visit and different times of the year will no doubt give a completely different perspective - such as snowdrops etc in spring. We will return.
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