Compton Castle

The following is from the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. For the most up-to-date Register entry, please visit The National Heritage List for England (NHLE):

A landscaped garden in the Picturesque style laid out in circa 1820-5 by the first owner of Compton Castle, John Hubert Hunt (c1774-1830).

Location, Area, Boundaries, Landform and Setting

Compton Castle, a site covering circa 63ha, is situated in a rural area immediately to the south-east of the hamlet of Compton Pauncefoot. The landscaped garden is situated in a valley with a series of fish ponds which is enclosed by wooded hills some rising to over 100 meters in height. The north boundary of the site is defined by Hockley Lane and that to the south by Old Wood, just to the north of the parish boundary between Compton Pauncefoot and Charlton Morethorne. To the north- west the site is bounded by Old Road and to the east by the road along the former parish boundary between Compton Pauncefoot and Blackford (turnpiked in 1753).

Entrances and Approaches

The former main visitors' entrance to Compton Castle is situated at the far north-east corner of the site. It is marked by ornate gate piers and gate, flanked by Sherborne Lodge (both listed at Grade II). The entrance gives access to the west drive (now, 2013, tarmac). This leads southwards through the wooded Quarry Covert towards the north-side of the largest pond where it offers a fine, surprise view of the Castle, before it curves around in a south-westerly direction. At the east-front of the Castle a gate in a decorative sectioned curtain wall (listed at Grade II), forming a semi-circular shape, and embellished with six castellated turrets, gives access to a forecourt east of the Castle. From here the drive continues south-westwards, ending at Windsor Lodge (listed at Grade II), where an adjacent entrance allows access to the Castle from Old Road to the west (currently used as the main entrance). All the lodges and the curtain wall date from c1820-5 and are believed to have been designed by John Finden, the architect of the Castle.

Principal Building

Compton Castle (listed at Grade II*), was built in circa 1820-5 by John Hubert Hunt, and designed by the architect John Finden, with early-C20 alterations by C. Biddulph-Pinchard. The house stands on a promontory on the east shore of the large lake that lies at the heart of the designed landscape. The Gothic style house is built in Ham stone ashlar with a Welsh slate roof. It has an elaborate three-bay east garden front with castellated parapets, turrets and angled bay windows overlooking the landscape. To its north-east lies a stable block of the same date (listed at Grade II). Circa 200m north-east of the Castle stands a group of outbuildings, now much altered.

Gardens and Pleasure Grounds

The gardens are situated to the north, south and east of the Castle and are enclosed by the castellated curtain wall (listed at Grade II, described above under the section Entrances and Approaches). The land east of the Castle is laid to lawn, with that to the south being a walled formal garden in Italianate style introduced in the early C20 (designer unknown, though the involvement of C. Biddulph-Pinchard is likely). It has a rectangular shaped sunken lawn with a central-cross shaped pond, surrounded by paved terraces decorated with contemporary stone seats and statuary, and bounded and punctuated by box hedges and topiary work. Steps from the sunken lawn lead to an early-C20 summerhouse by Biddulph-Pinchard (listed at Grade II), which was introduced as part of this garden, standing next to a former Apple Store (listed at Grade II), built in c1820-5. The much smaller formal garden north of the Castle, formerly known as the rose-bower garden, is less elaborate in its design. It has a sunken lawn with a central, circular stone fountain basin, decorated with carved shells. The lawn is surrounded by a ‘crazy' paved terrace and stone rubble pergolas, which were probably introduced in the mid-C20.

Park

The landscaped gardens cover the majority of the registered area. At its heart lies the grassed valley with the series of ornamental fish ponds, probably fed by a spring situated at the summit of Old Wood hill, in the south end of the site. Adjacent to this spring, is the site of Wood Cottage. This was situated at the south end of another, tear-shaped pond, and overlooked the valley stretching out below it. The cottage survived up to the early C20 (it is marked on the 2nd edition OS map), and may formerly have been the (site of the) Hermitage described in the rental papers of 1831.

The grassed valley, especially around the upper lakes, is planted with ornamental trees and shrubs, mostly introduced in the later C20, by the previous and current owner. Some mature trees survive and are likely to be identifiable on the first edition Ordnance Survey map published in 1887, which plots a scattering of individual trees.

The mature woodland on the surrounding hills, shown on the Tithe map of 1839, but probably pre-existing the landscaped garden, has been used to form a dramatic backdrop to it. They contain a number of informal walks and rides, probably laid out as part of the early-C19 layout, offering fine views of the valley below. A couple of footpaths cross the grass valley, and lead from the west lodge (Windsor Lodge) in a southerly direction along the west shore of the ponds, which are adorned with stone rubble cascades (at least one of which survives), creating a series of small waterfalls. The substantial early-C19 stone built cascade (listed at Grade II) at the south end of the last pond, includes a grotto with internal tunnels, steps, and chambers (one containing a plunge pool), offering surprise glimpses of the gardens. It is covered in moss and planted with ferns and ivy. The first edition OS map published in 1887 suggests this structure contained an extensive planting scheme.

The largest, heart-shaped pond at the centre of the landscaped gardens contains a number of small islands, with the one just off the western shore now accessible by a bridge, adorned by lamp posts, all introduced in the c1980s. At the other side of the pond stands a small circular stone temple, believed to have been brought in from elsewhere in the late C20 (none of the historic OS maps show a building in this location or elsewhere within the site). At the north-west corner of the pond stands a small Boat House originating from the mid- to late-C19 with later alterations.

Circa 100m north-east of the Castle on the lawn west of the Boat House stands a stone monument in the shape of a small Gothic-style spire resting on four columns, believed to have been introduced from elsewhere at a later date.

Kitchen Garden

North of the stable block is a rectangular-shaped, walled garden, built in the early C19, and by the late C19 in use as an orchard (see first edition OS map). Another walled garden, of which now (2013) only a fragment of walling survives, was situated in the northern part of the site which is labelled on the modern OS map as the Sherborne Pheasantries. It appears to have had three outer walls with the east side bounded by the small stream that continues to run through this part of the site. The north-west corner contained an inner walled garden with a simple laid out of straight paths dividing it into four quarters.

Reasons for Designation

Compton Castle, Compton Pauncefoot, Somerset, is included on the national Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

• Degree of survival: dating from 1820-5 enough of the layout survives to reflect the original design, including the main house and much of its structural planting.
• Influence: it is a good, well-documented, and representative example of an early-C19 rural designed landscape in the Picturesque style, associated with an important historic country estate within the region.
• Use of natural topography: as a landscape laid out in the Picturesque style, its design, positioning and use of the natural topography of the area adds considerably to its interest: the site's dramatic contour levels and water source offered the opportunity to successfully create dramatic views and a series of lakes with waterfalls and a large scale cascade situated in a valley enclosed by wooded hills.
• Group value: together with the main house it serves (listed at Grade II*), and other significant (listed) buildings and garden structures within the site, it forms a coherent and important group.

Maps

• Compton Pauncefoot Tithe Map - Date: 1839
• DD/BT/4/1/14 Map of Compton Pauncefoot - Date: 1800 - Source: Somerset Record Office
• DD/BT/5/6 Map of Compton Pauncefoot - Date: undated - Source: Somerset Record Office
• DD/BT/1/17 Map of Compton Pauncefoot - Date: 1856 - Source: Somerset Record Office
• OS 1st edition 1:2500 - Date: 1887 Other Reference - Description: Mid-C20 photographs of Compton Castle in English Heritage Archive