18th century flower gardens, The Elysian Gardens, Audley End Park (EHER 16975)

To the north-west of the main house, between the river Cam to the west and a stream to the east, lies the Elysian Gardens, a late 18th century flower garden, much changed in the 19th century.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Flower garden and walk laid out on either side of the River Cam in 1783. It was laid out by Placido Colombani to a design by Richard Woods and comprised gateways, temples and statues set within a walk decorated with flower beds. In the 1830s the borders were grassed over and structures demolished as the garden was found to be a frost trap. Excavations in 1994 located the path which extended along the front of the gardens as well as the path network within the garden. <1> - <3> This guidebook contains an 18th century illustration of the Elysian Garden and it is also visible on an illustrated plan of Audley Park. <4> The current (2010) guidebook for Audley End House and Gardens contains a brief description and illustration of the Elysian Garden dating to circa 1788. It is also marked on an illustrated plan in the front cover. <5> The Elysian Garden was surveyed as part of a wider survey covering most of the park immediately north of the house, itself part of a wider project including geophysics, environmental sampling, aerial photographic/lidar mapping and architectural survey. <6> 1995. Trial trenching. To the north-west of the main house, between the river Cam to the west and a stream to the east, lies the Elysian Gardens, a late 18th century flower garden, much changed in the 19th century. The former footpaths in the area were to be reinstated and therefore trial trenching was carried out in order to determine the route and make-up of these pathways. In addition, trenching was carried out in a wooded area on the eastern edge of the garden to locate and ascertain the degree of survival of a Cold Bath thought to date to the late 18th century. Two trenches in the garden area positively identified two separate pathways (trenches Q and R). A brick structure was located in the area of the Cold Bath - interpreted as the brick foundation of the Cold Bath. <7> 2002. Survey. Building recording of a brick structure in stream-it is interpreted as a 20th century fish hatchery. <8>