Dallaway Gardens

A steep garden can have plenty of character but very little comfortable space to use. At Dallaway Gardens in East Grinstead, the brief combined three priorities: somewhere to entertain, greater privacy and more reasons to explore the garden.

The survey established the levels, views and overlooking before the layout was developed. A terrace remained close to the house, with an open-sided gazebo positioned to provide shelter and privacy without closing off the outlook.

The gazebo also became a gateway into the garden. A winding route through ornamental trees connected different places to pause, including an upper terrace. The steps were detailed to work with the gazebo and the changing levels.

A reclaimed stone trough became a water feature beside the sitting area. Existing mature trees and the old stone boundary helped give the garden its sense of place.

Rather than treating the slope as a single problem to remove, the design used it to create a sequence of connected spaces.