Silksworth, Doxford House garden (Doxford Park)

Silksworth House (later Doxford House) garden is now a public park. Estate walls remain. The house and garden are now separated by a wall. A grassed embankment runs behind the house, sloping down to a long narrow pond. The pond is a central feature to the layout of the paths which lead to an area where a dene is formed by the steam feeding the pond. To the north is a kitchen garden (HER 5230). The walk to the kitchen garden is via a beech avenue {1}. The remains of a fountain survive in the pond {2}. Although some of the intimate relationship between the house and garden has been lost, excellent views of the house can still be had acrodd the open spaces of the park. The northern entrance to the park by the West Lodge still features some of the estate walls and a swathe of mature trees. To the north of the park there are open fields and the walled garden (HER 5230). Adjacent to the walled garden were glass houses, a mushroom house and a potting shed, a laundry, stores, workers cottages and a slaughter house. The southern part of the park are still discernible as the landscaped gardens of the house.