Unearthing Brockhole’s past

With Halloween creeping up, we are getting ready for the festivities to begin. Last year, our Halloween graveyard at our Visitor Centre, Brockhole on Windermere was just a pile of mud, since then, we have evolved the area into a Kitchen Garden and now our scarecrows are peeking out from the remainders of a fantastic harvest. 

The Gaddum chefs have got involved in the Kitchen Garden restoration project and now pick the vegetables needed daily to supplement their creative cooking. They have also been experimenting with earth ovens in the hopes of offering a heritage cooking experience for visitors in the future.

In the background our heritage research volunteers have attended workshops with Minerva Heritage at Kendal Archives, The Armitt Museum and Brockhole itself to look at the glass plate negatives and albums found with the deeds.

We recently visited Liverpool to uncover more about the time Brockhole was used as a convalescent home. Soon, we will be comparing all we have learnt about landscape architect, Thomas Mawson, and his visions to how the site is at present. All findings are now being gathered ready to input into the final interpretation of the project which will be displayed in the summer house and garden itself.

The Kitchen Garden is turning into something special, come and see for yourself! Learn more about our Thomas Mawson garden and the Kitchen Garden.

Thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for supporting the restoration of the Kitchen Garden at Brockhole.