Landscape record 0167104000 - Garden at Chenies Manor

The earliest architectural remains on the site are 13th century but the earliest house was replaced by a brick manor house in c.1460. The central portion of the house and tower survive from this period. The west side of the house was remodelled by Edward Blare in 1829-30 and a new garden laid out on the side at the same time. An early 19th century orangery was also constructed. The present gardens were formerly known as the 'little gardens'. The 'great garden' was situated on the north side of the house and was lost when the north wing was demolished in 1800. This area is now occupied by an orchard, kitchen garden and some farm buildings. South of the house is parkland featuring a Chinese ash planted around 1770 and an oak that was reputed to be mature when Elizabeth I visited the house in the 16th century (B16).
Ground penetrating radar was undertaken for a Time Team investigation at Chenies Manor House in 2004. One area investigated was south of the house. Two linear features were found but given the acute angle between them, they are unlikely to have been building remains. There appear to be buried surfaces next to the linear features, suggesting this area had been landscaped and that these represent old walls/garden features or some kind of drainage. An excavation north of the house to investigate a steep edge of an artificial terrace thought to have been created as part of the formal gardena of the Tudor or post-medieval period discovered the remains of a brick retaining wall for the terrace and several dumps of demolition waste, probably dumped here to help create the terrace (B17).
Negative test-pit dug in former gardens - now Chenies School grounds (B18).
Discussion of 'Capability' Brown's involvement in creating a vista from Latimer to Chenies Church, which involed cutting an opening through woodland on part of the estate (B20).
The remains of a Tudor house built in the C16 for the Russell family with the remains of associated gardens and parkland on a site known to have been occupied since C12. The property declined from the C17 until bought by the present owners in 1955 who created gardens on the earlier site. The Tudor gardens do not survive in a complete form above ground although certain elements can be traced including the remains of terracing above the Chess valley. Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in the 1760s incorporated a view from nearby Latimer House and park through Chenies woodland to the church tower of St Michael but this has since grown in. See report for detail (B21).
Negative watching brief/excavation carried out by John Moore Heritage Services in July 2023 during groundworks for construction of a swimming pool in the garden north of the house. The area had previous disturbance from a large modern rubbish pit (B23).