Fasque House Estate: Walled Garden
Date 16 March 2010
Event ID 914733
Category Management
Type Site Management
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/914733
The walled garden formerly comprised three sections, but a lower dividing wall has been removed. Flat-coped, red brick garden walls, stepped and flued at N.
John Paterson is acknowledged as the architect of Fasque House, and stylistic similarities lead to the attribution for the Apple House and Walled Garden as well as the South Lodge and Octagon Fasque House, built in 1809 by Sir Alexander Ramsay of Balmain, replaced an 18th century house which stood slightly to the west of the new building. Extensive tree planting during the 1730s was aligned on the earlier house, and would have placed the walled garden more centrally in the plan. The walled garden was a vital element and would have been central to the successful running of this large estate. Buxbaum discusses the variety of buildings popular in the walled garden, including "pavilions, apple houses, growing houses, conservatories, orangeries and gardener's houses". He continues "Among the earliest of such structures is the apple house. Usually simple pyramid-roofed, two-storey structures". The walled garden at Fasque was described by Patrick Neill "as the finest in the Mearns" [and] had five hot-houses for pineapples, grapes, peaches etc. And a greenhouse extending in all to 255 feet in length of glass. The hot-walls are 240ft in extent". Robertson in his Agricultural Survey of Kincardineshire says that the hot house "is well stocked with a choice collection of Exotics; and in particular with the delicious Anana, or pine apple; the crop of which last season, was abundant almost to profusion". Robertson also notes that the estate is "highly ornamented with plantations, and has been the scene of much agricultural improvement." Marcus Binney mentions 'an oval pond ringed by railings to each half of the Walled Garden', only the south garden pond retains its railings. (Historic Scotland)
