Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey

Working with fellow designer Matthew Childs I designed a fantastic ‘Secluded Garden’ within Hampton Court Palace, originally planned to open for the Queen’s Jubilee in 2012.  Our brief was to create an accessible sensory garden for visitors who currently don’t visit Hampton Court.  Matt and I have taken the concept one step further to create a secluded space with sensory impact, fabulous for visitors with accessibility challenges, and a space the palace can hire out for events.  The garden is the 1300m² and will be accessed over a new bridge from the existing historical gardens, and has three main zones of single species planting which create great impact: one of the sensory experiences in our design.  These ‘outdoor rooms’ are separated by yew hedges with enormous oak ‘windows’ in them, and linked by a central water garden where groups can mingle surrounded by curtains of dripping water, a fantastic experience on a hot summers day.