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QUEEN ELEANOR’S GARDEN

Queen Eleanor's garden . Herb Garden
Abbey Gardens

  Abbey

Dean Garnier garden

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St Giles' Hill

  St Giles Hill

Wolvesey Slips (The Weirs)

  Wolvesey

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The Fountain The Falcon on the Fountain The Fountain

Set in a small secluded area behind the Great Hall, Queen Eleanor’s Garden is a modern reconstruction of a 13th Century garden. Opened in July 1986 by Her Majesty the Queen Mother, it may be accessed either through the Great Hall itself, or via a set of steps to the rear.
Named after Eleanor of Provence, Henry 111īs Queen, the garden uses plants and materials that would have been familiar to gardeners of that period. The lean-to in the background is roofed with split oak shingles. The pergola is formed of hazel (Albeit with a modern supporting steel frame, for durability). Turf walls and hedges of Bay surround a herb garden, and a stone seat is conveniently placed so one can sit and admire the fine Purbeck stone water feature.

All the stonework, and the fountain, were crafted by the Masons of Vokes and Beck under the leadership of Mr Wheeble. The fountain is formed in sections, not because of it’s intricacy or for ease of transport and assembly, but because the best quality Purbeck stone used in it’s construction is only found in one seam. The thickness of this seam determined the size of the blocks that could be quarried.

View from the steps A detail in the Herb garden View up to the steps from the Milatary  Museum complex
An Oak shingle roof and a secluded seat A view through the Vine Arch
Abbey Gardens

  Abbey

Dean Garnier garden

  Garnier

St Giles' Hill

  St Giles Hill

Wolvesey Slips (The Weirs)

  Wolvesey

More Parks & Gardens

  More Parks

The wall behind the vine arch is part of the Kings House, designed by Christopher Wren for Charles II in 1683. The 120 room residence had already been completed when the King died and plans to make Winchester a royal center were abandoned. During the French revolution 600 refugee Priests were housed here. In 1809 the building was converted into barracks, and in 1894 the building was destroyed by fire. Lines of melted pitch from the roof can still be seen on this wall.

View toward the herb garden. Lines of melted pitch down the remaining walls of the Kings House
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