A ceremonial ribbon has been cut at the Gardens of Easton Lodge to celebrate a successful restoration project being completed.

Months of work have gone in to repairing the balustrade around the Peto lily pond in the Italian garden in Little Easton.

The work was undertaken by stonemasons, with balusters turned from hamstone brought in from Somerset to match the original stone.

The Gardens of Easton Lodge Preservation Trust launched an appeal for public help to fund the work last year.

The lily pond within the sunken Italian garden at the Historic England Grade II registered gardens is a key part of the Harold Peto legacy. The Countess of Warwick commissioned the garden makeover in 1902.

Dunmow Broadcast: Volunteers, friends, neighbours and funders gathered for the ribbon-cutting at the Gardens of Easton Lodge, Little EastonVolunteers, friends, neighbours and funders gathered for the ribbon-cutting at the Gardens of Easton Lodge, Little Easton (Image: The Gardens of Easton Lodge Preservation Trust)

Volunteers, friends, neighbours and funders gathered for the ribbon-cutting, performed by Councillor Martin Foley, an Uttlesford district councillor for Thaxted and the Eastons, who is also an Essex county councillor.

Dunmow Broadcast: Two of the participants at the Gardens of Easton Lodge celebration for the finished restoration projectTwo of the participants at the Gardens of Easton Lodge celebration for the finished restoration project (Image: The Gardens of Easton Lodge Preservation Trust)

One of the visitors, Betty, often visited the Gardens when she was a young girl and knew the Countess of Warwick.

Another visit, David, met the Countess’s son Maynard Greville. A third visitor shared pictures of her mother on a teaching training course at the Gardens in the early 1930s.


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