Monument record 0420807000 - Ha Ha, Stowe Garden Boundary

The National Trust Survey of the gardens in 1989, gives the following description and chronology for the garden boundary which mostly takes the form of a large Ha Ha (1.5m high x 5m wide). The retaining wall is constructed of mortared limestone rubble faced with rough ashlar ironstone. The SW boundary was a sunk spiked fence. This has been mostly been backfilled but a small section near the Boycott pavillions has been preserved. There is also a short section of iron spike railings near the Cobham memeorial and a short section of brick wall besides the Japanese Gradens.
The first Ha Ha was built in 1719 around the Home Park. Its form was a military style turf wall with projecting horizontal spikes. It was replaced in the 1720s with a more extensive Ha Ha with bastions and sharp angles designed by Bridgeman around the west and north sides. It was later extended to the present west and south boundaries. In the 1730s a boundary was run from the near Imperial Closet around the site of the Gothic Temple to the Cobham Memorial where it turned back westward towards the house. This boundary was pobabaly a Ha Ha. In the 1740s the Grecian Valley was bought into the garden and the section of the Ha Ha from the Cobham memorial to the house was backfilled. At the same time sections in Hawkwell field was also filled. In the 19th century the eastern boundary was thrown out to its present line and the now redundant boundary across Hawkwell Field obliterated. The course of earlier Ha Has are tracecable as low earthworks. The survey also notes that there have been numerous small changes to the alignment over time, for example the bastion at the N end of Grecian Valley which was created to contain an arch and then done away with in the 1760-70s (B18).
During rebuilding works along the wall flanking the drive, a gateway was discovered. The two flanking piers had been infilled with stone duing the late 19th century. The removal of the stone led to the discovery of two wrought iron hinge pivots incorporated into the top course of the interior face of each pier and below were found two wrought iron bearing blocks to carry the trunnions at the bottom of each gate. The approach from the garden was an inclined ramp made of blocks of ironstone coverd with a deep bed of yellow gravel, the gate was probably approached from outside by a bridge or turf bank - no evidence exists for these. The gate is important because it links to one of the main walks across the north side of the house (B19)
Note: uncertain if this report relates to CAS 042080704 or 0420807001
The English Heritage survey of Stowe undertaken in 2001 notes that the Ha Ha runs for 470m from the Boycott Pavillions to the North Front of Stowe House - the ditch here is 8m wide and the restored stone-faced retaining wall 1.6m high. A bastion 25m long x 12m deep just out about two thirds of the way along. It originally contained a mound and marked the point where two early 18th centry paths met. The Deer Park comes right up the North Front of the house, hence the Ha-Ha begins at the Temple of Concord and Victory and runs for some 500m up to the NW corner of the gardens. Here it runs and runs E-W for 175m where it is interupted by the modern road, From here on, the ha-ha survives as an overgrown ditch, 6m wide and up to 2m deep for 300m. In the eastern area of the park the Ha-Ha comprises of an overgrown ditch running for 200m. Just N of the Temple of Friendship, the ditch becomes very much more pronouced. The Ha-Ha took the form of a sunken fence in the SW of the garden is just discernable as a slight ditch between the East Boycott Pavillion and the Sewage Works (B19).