Paul Roper, head of project and funding delivery at Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, invites Enfield residents to Myddelton House Gardens for a special exhibition

HRH Duchess of Cornwall planting a peach tree — HRH Duchess of Cornwall (now Queen Camilla) planting a peach tree at Myddelton House Gardens’ restored Peach House in 2011

Fourteen years ago we completed a restoration project at Myddelton House Gardens thanks

to a £487,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Over two years, key areas of this historically important horticultural gem tucked away in a corner of Enfield at Bulls Cross were transformed and the project completion was marked in 2011 with an official opening by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, now Queen Camilla.

This month, from 15th-23rd March, National Lottery Open Week will shine a spotlight on the thousands of projects it has supported over the last 30 years, and we are delighted to unveil a display of before-and-after photographs in the stable block during the week to show the journey of the restoration of Myddelton House Gardens.

The restoration included the Victorian Kitchen Garden, Pergola Garden and potting shed, the painstaking recreation of Peach House, and the creation of a new visitor centre and tearoom in the listed stables block. Visitor numbers flourished in the first year, rising from 8,000 to 57,000. Now the gardens attract 40-50,000 people a year.

Myddelton House Gardens was the lifelong home to Edward Augustus Bowles, one of the greatest gardeners of the 20th century, according to the Royal Horticultural Society, but it fell into disrepair after his death in 1954. In 1967 the house became the headquarters for the newly-created Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, which I joined in 2005.

Restoration of the gardens, which contain three national plant collections of bearded iris, crocus and ruscus, began in 2009 with the lottery-fund work which has had a significant impact on the gardens. As project manager, I worked with the team, EA Bowles Society and volunteers to ensure it was true to the ethos of EA Bowles.

A decade and a half on, and the meticulous attention that was paid to the detail in the recreation of the buildings and planting has paid dividends. They look loved and cared for but like they have always been there.

Photos showing the before and after at Myddelton House Gardens — Photos showing the ‘before and after’ of Peach House at Myddelton House Gardens

Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles, the great-great nephew of EA Bowles, and president of the EA Bowles Society, gave welcome support to the restoration of the gardens where he played as a child and believed the grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund “saved the gardens”. I recall Her Royal Highness’ visit as a great day of celebration.

We were all extremely proud of the transformation that had taken place at Myddelton House Gardens. There were many hurdles to jump along the way, but the project was completed on time and on budget. It marked the start of a new era for this quirky garden packed with surprises, colour and history in every one of its eight acres. It is also a garden that now plays a role in educating and inspiring future gardeners.

Spring is the most special colourful time for a stroll around Myddelton House Gardens so we hope the local community will visit and enjoy a look at the photographs that tell the story of its restoration.

Myddelton House Gardens is open daily from 10am–4pm, with the photography exhibition taking place from from 15th-23rd March. For more information:
Visit visitleevalley.org.uk/myddelton-house-gardens

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