Scot's House, garden

The 1850s Ordnance Survey map shows a tantalising outline for what might have been quite a significant garden. West of the pleasure garden, a kitchen garden is annotated with an orchard and glasshouses. In front of the house a ha-ha separated the parkland which was planted with clumps of trees. A path lined with trees crossed the ha-ha to join a route to an observatory. The pleasure garden to the east of the house was quartered with three sections containing formal avenues of small trees or shrubs (topiary?). Today the garden remains sheltered by a high eighteenth century wall along the north and east sides. The large ornamental pond is derelict and the observatory is barely evident. The gatehouse gives an impression of grandeur. Scot's House was mentioned in Hatfield's survey of 1348 (see HER 961). In 1617 Thomas Cole surrendered the house to Ralph Cole, then it passed to the Millbankes and the Wades by 1800.