Hampshire villa garden

A concept study to help clients decide how to approach a major refurbishment

Design sketch showing large garden in Hampshire featuring swimming pool, deck, terrace, sunken garden and clipped hedges

Working in collaboration with Rob John Garden Design, this project involved a substantial mature garden in Winchester, where the owners were completing a major refurbishment of an elegant 1930s villa. The garden had many good features, but required a large scale renovation.

Diagram showing the site boundary of a garden in Hampshire

Site

Diagram showing the axes of a garden in Hampshire

Axes

Diagram explaining how a large garden in Hampshire is divided into 'rooms'

Rooms

Diagram showing how the thresholds between different rooms in the garden will be emphasised by hedging

Thresholds

Diagram showing the new areas of planting in a large garden in Hampshire

Planting

Diagram showing how the garage building will fit into the garden design

Garage

The garden and its relationship with the house was analysed through a series of diagrams, which emphasised how breaking the space into more enclosed 'rooms', each with its own character, would create a sense of discovery and, as the client suggested, 'a garden you could lose yourself in'.

New terrace areas for entertaining and to better integrate an existing swimming pool were proposed. The sunken garden would be repaired, and extensive new planting in a more contemporary style added. The charm of the formal front garden would be reinforced by the introduction of a linear water feature, whilst romantic climbers would link the ground level to a bedroom balcony above.  A 'long walk' linking the main house to a garage and studio office was planned and a practical area was drawn up for storage and composting.