A Bristol University project which aims to document all the historically significant gardens of England has received a £314,411 boost from the Leverhulme Trust.

The project, which aims to survey more than 3,000 historic gardens, county by county, is directed by Dr Timothy Mowl of the University’s Department of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Dr Mowl recognised the need for a Pevsner-style analysis of England’s historic gardens and landscapes six years ago while writing a course book for the University’s Garden History MA students.

Over the last five years, he has visited more than 450 gardens in Gloucestershire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Cornwall and Worcestershire and completed the first five volumes of the series: Historic Gardens of Gloucestershire, Historic Gardens of Dorset, Historic Gardens of Wiltshire, Historic Gardens of Cornwall and Historic Gardens of Worcestershire all published by Tempus Publishing of Stroud. 

This new grant will enable Dr Mowl to research and write ten further books, bringing the total in the series up to 16, over the next five years.

Dr Mowl said: “We are delighted that the Leverhulme Trust has provided such generous support to enable us to continue with this ambitious project.  We hope that this nationwide series of books will become the definitive guide to England’s rich garden history.

“This new grant will also give young scholars in the field the opportunity to be appointed as consultants to the project and be joint authors, together with me, of the books.”

The project starts in January and will be conducted under the aegis of the University’s recently established Institute of Garden and Landscape History.