| |


An estate plan of 1798 showing the construction
of the park and gardens at Buscot by Edward Loveden
Parkland work commenced in earnest as the mansion
works were nearing completion in 1782. Park paling was completed during
the summer of 1782, when deer were bought. Underground drainage was carried
out in the spring of 1782, followed by the digging of the fishpond in
the summer, and tree planting in the autumn. The sward was sown in the
spring of 1783. These initial works comprised 120 acres of parkland pasture,
5 acres of water, 23 acres of plantation and 5 acres of kitchen garden,
plus one acre of shrubbery around the house. The layout made best use
of the local topography, and its simple arrangement created a setting
for the mansion that echoed the English Landscape fashion of the period.
Between 1786 and 1792, Loveden spent the considerable sum of £60,000
in order to expand the estate by purchasing numerous local landholdings.
In 1788 he acquired the neighbouring Throckmorton estate, and so became
the owner of the Farn Hill land on which his house was built, and by 1798
he owned most of Buscot parish, as well as parts of Eaton Hastings, Coxwell
and Faringdon. To the east of the house he created a new 20-acre lake
fed by an existing stream; to the west he extended the deer park and to
the south he took more heathland and pasture into the park, adding a further
107 acres overall. The lake was a particular feature, creating long views
across the water from the north front of the house to an eye-catching
bridge that closed the eastern end of the lake.
|