Flower lovers are being invited to support a rose and help secure the legacy of one of Lotherton Hall’s most cherished historic spaces.
The estate’s walled garden is currently being restored to its former glory, with visitors and supporters being offered the chance to sponsor a rose bush as part of the project. Originally designed at the end of the 19th century by Mrs Laura Gwendolen Gascoigne, wife of Colonel Frederick R.T.T. Gascoigne, the garden was once one of the jewels of the estate.
Colonel Gascoigne inherited Lotherton in 1893, and Mrs Gascoigne, who had a keen interest in garden design and extensive botanical knowledge, set about transforming the walled garden into an ‘old-fashioned’ garden filled with rose beds, herbaceous borders, scented flowers, tender creepers and perennials.
The walled garden itself is believed to have been built before 1810 and was once heated by flued walls, allowing more exotic plants to be grown. Over the years, however, the garden has declined, with nutrients depleted from the soil and rose bushes and other flowers struggling to thrive.
Now, as part of its revival, tonnes of tired soil have been removed and replaced in preparation for around 100 rose bushes to be planted this spring, with more planting planned in 2027.
Supporters can choose from ten different varieties of roses, all of which would have been common at the start of the 20th century. Each person supporting a rose will also be able to choose the exact plot where their bush is planted.
Ed O’Connell, a specialist gardener at Lotherton Hall said:
“We’ve been working hard for the last few months on this careful restoration of the garden, digging up and replacing soil so that we can plant new roses.
“The varieties we have chosen were all popular around the time that Mrs Gascoigne first designed the gardens, so people who decide to support our project can choose from beautiful roses like Rosa Gallica ‘Versicolor’ and Rosa ‘Belle Isis’.”
Mrs Gascoigne’s son, Sir Alvary Gascoigne, inherited the Lotherton Estate in 1931 and became its final private owner before gifting it to the people of Leeds in 1969. Those backing the rose appeal will not only help bring colour and fragrance back to the historic garden, but will also become part of Lotherton’s continuing story.
Supporting a rose bush costs £75, or £65 for members, and includes a framed certificate, an annual celebratory event and the opportunity to sign a ledger which will become part of the Leeds Museums and Galleries archives. The scheme launched in April, with expressions of interest being invited by email at philip.stevens@leeds.gov.uk
Read more about Lotherton Hall and discover upcoming events at Lotherton through Leeds Museums and Galleries
