Bellfield Estate Rock Garden

This was the Bellfield Estate Rock Garden

 

 

 

The Rock Garden had a pond where you could find alpine plants, pond plants, water lilies, algae and very long grass. Large goldfish were introduced into the pond by the head gardener’s wife in the 1930s. The pond wasn’t very big or deep but there was a small bridge to walk over where you could watch the fish. The pond was located to the right side of Bellfield House, as you were facing it.

 

 

The Rock Garden was also known as a rocky garden. Plants found in the Rock Garden would have been small and did not grow any higher than 1 metre. The Rock Garden was created in the 1930’s.  The remains of the sandstone wall at the Rock Garden measure 9 metres in length and  4 or 5 stones tall. The pond was drained in the 1950’s as children kept falling into it. Around the end of the 1900’s it was dangerous because a lot of the large stones had become loose, so the pond area was filled in.

Today, you can still see the remains of the path leading into the Rock Garden. The path leading to the garden was made out of stone slabs and you can still see where the pond used to be.

Next to the Rock Garden area, on the driveway is a small semi-circle where a drinking fountain used to be. You can still see the base of the metal pipe where it comes out of the ground.