Blogs using the British Newspaper Archive
Blog #6
Pulhamite
All images © The British Library Board
A review was
recently printed in the Alpine
Gardener of September 2012 of the book:
Rock Landscapes: The Pulham Legacy by Claude Hitching and Jenny Lilly.
This prompted reminiscences on the part of myself and my wife (a keen
gardener), as we had seen in 1999 the magnificen Pulhamite garden at Waddesdon
manor, which had been restored. As the Waddesdon website says: “The
garden was designed to surprise and delight the Baron's guests at every
turn. In his day, a garden tour would include the Aviary, the ornamental
Dairy, the huge glasshouses, romantic Pulham grottoes and a menagerie of deer,
goats and llamas.” http://www.waddesdon.org.uk/gardens/garden-history
“Located at the Dairy, the Water Garden is designed as a series of small
lakes interconnected by Pulham rock arches, waterfalls, cascades, bridges and
paths. Today, the structure of the garden remains the same and much of the
original planting still survives.” http://www.waddesdon.org.uk/gardens/explore-the-gardens/water_garden
As the Wiki website says: “Pulhamite
was a patented anthropic rock
'material' invented by James Pulham (1820-98) of the firm James Pulham and Son of Broxbourne.
Pulhamite, which usually looked like gritty sandstone, was
used to join natural rocks together or crafted to simulate natural stone
features. The recipe went to the grave with him.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulhamite
There are many contemporary citations of the activities of the Pulham
family in the nineteenth century, and the British Newspaper Archive contains
many descriptions.
In the Nottinghamshire Guardian - Friday 21
July 1876 (p.10. col.4), there is a description of recent work by Pulham in
Clifton Hall Gardens: “Facing
the fountain in the centre of the house [i.e. the recently erected conservatory, which was …feet long ] there is a recess in the back wall. This is
beautifully arranged in a natural-like style of rockwork by Messrs. Pulham and Son, Broxborne, Herts. In the
cavities of this rockery there are many hardy Ferns growing luxuriantly…”
Nottinghamshire
Guardian - Friday 21 July 1876
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000176/18760721/053/0010
By the late 1870s, the
work of Pulham must have been sufficiently widespread for the word to be used
without particular emphasis. In the Nottinghamshire
Guardian - Friday 15 August 1879 (p.10 col 3-4), an article reprinted from the Gardener, discussed ‘Making and
planting rockwork’ states: “ Between Pulham on the one hand , and the coke
rockery on the other, there is room for many varieties of the art and mystery
of rock making. When a rockery is to be made, two primary objects should be
kept in view. The first is, that the fabric to be constructed shall be pleasing
to the eye, and harmonise with its surroundings, - that it should not look
toy-like , too artificial or incongruous, but be an agreeable feature in the
garden; and the second is, that it be so constructed that it shall be suitable
for the growth of the plants to be cultivated on it.”
Nottinghamshire
Guardian - Friday 15 August 1879
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000176/18790815/070/0010
Smaller properties also
had work carried out by Pulham. For the sale of the property of Mapperley Road
and Chesnut Grove, Nottingham, the house was connected to “… an extensive range
of glass houses, including conservatory, 44 feet by 21 feet 6 inches; winery
plant-house and forcing house…; tufa built rockeries by Pulham of Broxborne,
135 feet by in part 16 feet, and in other part 32 feet. “ (Nottinghamshire Guardian - Saturday 26 May 1894 p.1 col. 5.)
Nottinghamshire
Guardian - Saturday 26 May 1894
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000176/18940526/002/0001
In a description of Earl Beauchamp’s
gardens at Madresfield Court, praise is forthcoming from the writer: “Conifers
are very abundant here, especially in the rockery, which is one of Pulham’s
best productions. This is well furnished, and the garishness so characteristic
of new rockwork has entirely disappeared. The entire construction now looks
quite natural.” Worcestershire
Chronicle - Saturday 04 February 1899 (p.3. col.6.)
Worcestershire
Chronicle - Saturday 04 February 1899
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000350/18990204/053/0003
In ‘The new river gardens at Belper’,
developed as a public recreation, “… a beautiful garden has been evolved out of chaos,
…consisting of broad promenade walks, large shrubberies, planted with the
choicest of shrubs, glowing beds of flowers, arches for climbing ~Roses,
artificial rockeries built by Pulham’s the renowned rock builders, a Swiss tea
house with its shady verandahs, all the walks edged with rockery stones… “Derby Daily Telegraph -
Thursday 08 November 1906 (p.4. col. 7.)
Derby
Daily Telegraph - Thursday 08 November 1906
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000327/19061108/082/0004
The First World War probably diminished
amount commissions available to the Pulham business. However, we find reference
to the company in 1933. In ‘Horticultural exhibitions in Essex’, held at Silver
Leys, the first trade award was made to “Messrs. Pulham and Son for
rockery”. (Chelmsford Chronicle -
Friday 11 August 1933 p.2. col. 4.
Chelmsford
Chronicle - Friday 11 August 1933
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000516/19330811/014/0002
The development of
gardens and gardening advanced tremendously in the 19th century.
Those who sought the ‘natural look’ when
building or developing their properties at this time frequently turned to the
Pulham business to supply rockery, and their works became part of the overall effect
that owners wanted.
Ed King
January 2013
Further reading
The
Pulham Legacy. Rock Gardens, Ferneries,
Follies, Grottoes and Fountains. http://pulham.org.uk/tag/pulhamite/
Durability Guaranteed - Pulhamite Rockwork – its
conservation and repair. English Heritage.
2008. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/publications/durability-guaranteed-pulhamite-rockwork/?utm_source=nav.18750&utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=redirect
No comments:
Post a Comment