1. Introduction from Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles and Stable Block

"Hello, I am Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles. I would like to welcome you to Myddelton House and the gardens created by my great, great uncle, E.A. Bowles. Even in his lifetime this was recognised as one of the country’s most important gardens - for its interesting and exotic plants, and because of my great great-uncle’s passionate dedication to horticulture. People came from across the country and beyond to visit and admire the plants that grew here. 

On his death in 1954 he was described the greatest gardener of the first half of the 20th century. He liked to share his knowledge and discoveries and over 50 bulbs, flowers and shrubs were named after him. – He was a member of the Royal Horticultural Society, and served as its vice-president for over 25 years. He wrote a number of books about the garden. These give a vivid account of his thoughts and practises.

But Myddelton House Gardens were not just important for people who already had an interest in plants. Bowles did a lot for the local community and for local children, whom he encouraged to come and help him working in the gardens. 

After EA Bowles died, and the house was sold, the gardens fell into a state of disrepair. Today they are being restored to their former glory, thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of the E. A. Bowles of Myddelton House Society, the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority- the owners of the gardens, a team of gardeners, and with help from Heritage Lottery Funding. Once again, this is a place where people can come to research and learn, to see an important collection of plants, and to wander round in beautiful surroundings. 

I do hope you enjoy your visit to this unique garden" 

Narrator: The Visitors’ Centre was one of two of Myddelton’s Carriage Houses - where the estate’s horse-drawn carriages were kept. – Inside, you can still see some of the building’s original flagstone and herringbone flooring, and the running boards that stopped the carriage wheel hubs from damaging the wall. The Carriage House was just one of the buildings that formed the Stable Block. It was built at around the same time as the main house, in the early 19thcentury. The horses were kept here – in stalls to the left of the Carriage House. A harness room, feeders, troughs, and a hay-loft were all located here, behind the central arch. When Bowles first got a car, in the mid 1930s, the carriages were sold and the horses were put out to pasture in the fields behind.

The clock over the central doorway dates from 1826. Every quarter of an hour it lets out a distinctive chime.

For many years this was the sound that helped to regulate the lives of the people who worked here. It reminded them when they could take a break, when they had to get back to their duties, and when their day’s work was done. But this was no ordinary clock. The firm that made it - Thwaites and Reed - also made clocks for Westminster Abbey, Ely Cathedral, and the Horse Guards Parade.

The clock was renovated and put back in working order in the mid 1990s. Every eight days someone has to climb up the clocktower stairs to wind it up by hand. You might like to listen out for its chime as you wander through the gardens.