Luton Hoo Walled Garden January

January is nearing its end, and so I paid a visit to Luton Hoo’s Walled Garden for the first time in 2011. England’s recent weather has done it no favours, but it was still very obvious that both employed and voluntary workers had cleared the detritus of the past season readying the garden for next year’s growth. Taking photos within the walled garden in the gloom and fine drizzle would not have shown the efforts, but simply filled a viewer with sadness.

As I walked around beyond the wall towards the Boiler House and beyond, I could hear animated conversation. As I came to the former Mushroom House I met the team who over at least the last two years had restored the Apple Cart. I learnt that the next projects were to continue work on the dragsaw, and start on a small handcart. I was shown some of the parts, and the start being made, but there was nothing beyond a series of early faded photos that showed how it had once looked during its former working life.

In the smaller room next door a parcel from America was being slowly unpacked to reveal some goodies rescued from a ‘Bone Yard’ – what we English would describe as a ‘Scrap Yard’! However the contents revealed a delightful cornucopia of parts that could bring the dragsaw back to energetic life. I heard it described as a Christmas present! They would still require work, and in some cases could only become patterns for newly machined components such as the crankshaft, but all were very welcome.

Meanwhile in the small courtyard, work was proceeding trying to lift a large grating, which did seem to be resisting all efforts to being opened. Soon two of the volunteers were turning their attention to some of the smaller connected grilles and then one of them set to removing some of the gloop in order to rod the pipes to clear them; this task was still ongoing by the time I came to leave, so I do not know the final outcome. What I do know is that it was hard and dirty work that was being done with enthusiasm.