A scorching summer has brought an old garden back into view at one of Britain’s grand estates.
At Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, the outline of a 17th century garden has reappeared beneath parched grass after record heat and a long drought. The design, known as The Great Parterre, was created for the 1st Duke of Devonshire around 1699 and built along the south façade of the estate.
The ornamental layout of flower beds and paths measured 144 metres long by 69 metres wide. It followed the fashion of the time for formal, perfectly symmetrical gardens.
The garden lasted for only 30 years before it was covered over and replaced with a new design around 1730.
A spokesperson for Chatsworth House Trust said that after temperatures exceeded 30C in May, June and July, and with the “exceptionally dry” start to July, the lawn was “parched enough for history to reveal itself once again”.
They added: “As the grass that was laid to replace the flowerbeds and paths has shorter roots, it burns more quickly when temperatures are high and dry, creating a contrast and temporarily revealing the swirling patterns of the First Duke’s original garden underneath.”
The historic garden site is now part of the south lawn within the 42-hectare grounds at Chatsworth House, home to the Devonshire family for 16 generations.
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