The collection comprises 1284 drawings relating to the historical development, maintenance and management of the house and gardens. The earliest drawings are copies of late eighteenth plans and elevations of the Dining Parlour by Placido Columbani and an elevation of the gate at Syon House of 1769 providing comparison with Lion Gate. Most, however, date between the late 1940s through to 2002 and are record drawings of the house, its fabric and the grounds. Included are systematic surveys by the Ministry of Works in the 1950s, photogrammetric surveys of the north and south porches produced by the University of York between 1980 and 1982, and detailed topographic site surveys by the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works in 1969 and again by J A Story and Partners for the Department of the Environment in January 1981.
There are structural drawings of turret roofs; survey drawings of the rooms in the north east wing and excavation drawings of the floor in the Red Dressing Room and Red Bedroom, from May 1979. Also included are proposal drawings for roof repairs; drawings for the conversion of the Chapel bay window to an eighteenth century style window and drawings produced by English Heritage in 1990 for construction work to be carried out at Orchard Cottage include drainage, fixtures and finishes.
The collection includes a large number of services drawings including existing drainage and water services plans by the Office of Works in 1904 and the Ministry of Works in July 1957; electrical services drawings for lighting and heating; a smoke detection system; fire alarm system; lightning protection and floodlighting. Plans of river bank repairs were produced by the Department of the Environment between 1973-1974 and plans for planting and landscaping for the park, gardens, car parks and paths were produced between 1983-1988.
In the mid-1980s Chelmsford Archaeological Trust surveyed Lion Gate as part of an ambitious project to restore the gardens. The project archive includes excavation drawings of work in the Courtyard Garden, Parterre, elevations of parts of Walden Abbey incorporated into the house, and the Vinery.
There are also topographic survey drawings of the east park landscape from 1993, planting drawings from 1994 and artworks for information panels and leaflets relating to the restored Organic Kitchen Garden dating to 2002.
This is part of the Series: EHC01/022 English Heritage Plans and Measured Drawings; within the Collection: EHC01 English Heritage(EH):Archive
© Crown Copyright. Historic England Archive
© Crown copyright. Ordnance Survey
© Historic England Archive
Contact Historic England Archive
Artist: Jones, R F
Draftsman: Columbani, Placido
Hanoverian Country House, Jacobean Country House, Hanoverian Kitchen Garden
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