WALLED GARDEN SIR THOMAS AND LADY DIXON PARK

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Red brick walled garden SW of Wilmont House (HB26 16 005A) located within an extensive 134 acre parkland demesne, now a public park, on the W side of Upper Malone Road, known today as Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park after the then owners who gifted the park to Belfast Corporation in 1959. The walled garden is contemporary with Wilmont, a detached Italianate style country house of c1859 and survives complete with a later gardener’s shed and bothy. They share group value along with the gate lodge (HB26.16.005B) at the southernmost entrance on Upper Malone Road and with the former stable block (HB26.16.005C) now converted to café and offices. The park is bound by M1 to W; Upper Dunmurry Lane to NE; and lagan navigation (SMR ref DOW009: 500) to SW.
Further information is available from NI Heritage Gardens Inventory (ref AN-068).

From S of Wilmont House, a tarmacked path leads to a yew walk with cast iron gate and raised pond having dressed stone surround and crown centrepiece; the first survey card refers to a cherub holding a fish in the centre of this pond, suggesting that it may have been replaced, possibly as a result of refurbishment in 2002. The walled garden sits to SW; roughly rectangular on plan, it slopes gently from north to south and is enclosed by red brick walls in English Garden Wall bond with precast concrete copings. To the north wall there is a segmental-headed pedestrian gateway (roughly centred on the pond) flanked by brick pilasters with stone ‘capitals’ and entablature, framing an ornate wrought iron gate; otherwise, the enclosed garden is largely plain, with paths laid in cruciform between plants and lawn. Three stone plaques set into the perimeter wall along the W side are dedicated to Reade and Dixon family pets, dating from 1905, 1932 and 1938. Unusually for its age, the walled garden has no carriage arch. There is evidence of a former opening along the W side, now blocked with modern brick, too narrow for carriages.

Outside, a former gardener’s bothy and potting sheds, built c.1890s also in red brick laid to English Garden Wall bond, abuts N side of walled garden. Now used as store, glasshouses originally built on reverse side are gone but remnants of chimneys remain.

MATERIALS:
ROOF: W & E bay – natural slate (latter replaced); central bay – mix of artificial and natural slate with red clay ridge tiles
RWGS: uPVC
WALLS: Red brick in English Garden Wall bond
WINDOWS: Timber framed single glazed casements; boarded over.

Bothy and Potting Sheds:
Three bays wide and symmetrical, the taller central bay has an attic with gabled roof, flanked by single-storey mono-pitched bays. Windows all boarded up with faux glazing bars painted on boards; timber framed casement windows remain behind. Central bay roofed in mix of artificial and natural slates with projecting bargeboard, tie beam and curved struts; single window centred on ridge; three windows to ground floor with concrete cills and continuous lintel; central window in place of original door evidenced by brick in-fill below cill. W bay has two windows with continuous lintel at eaves; raised concrete skews and slate roof thought to be original; and flush timber door in W face. E bay divided in two, both containing stores - each has single window and sheeted timber door; continuous lintel at eaves and replacement slate roof; uPVC rainwater goods. E face is blank except for corner chimney.

Historical information

[For history of Wilmont estate see HB26.16.005A]

The walled garden appears to be contemporary with Wilmont House and as such is likely to have been created by James Bristow, shortly after he acquired the demesne in 1855. It is shown on the 1857 OS map, however, the fact that the map does not show any associated structures (there are no greenhouses or sheds etc.), could suggest that work was still in progress at this date. On the second edition map of 1901, both greenhouses and sheds are depicted, along with what seem to be additional ‘enclosures’ to the west and south of the garden, with the former having greenhouses along its northern boundary. It is uncertain when any of these was added, as the late 19th century valuation books contain no record of any additions. Changes did take place in or shortly before 1921, the valuation book noting the presence of a ‘gardener’s house’ and ‘yards’ in that year, and indeed the OS map of 1920-21 shows the footprint structures considerably enlarged in comparison to the previous map. This coincides with the appearance of the buildings we see today, all of which appear to be of this date; all were probably added by Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon, shortly after they bought Wilmont in 1919.

The greenhouses within the walled garden itself were taken down sometime between 1931 and 1963 - probably closer to the latter date, when the demesne was officially opened as a public park, with the remainder removed between this and 1972. During the same period the former ‘enclosure’ to the west (which since at least 1905 had also served as a pet cemetery) was planted, with that to the south seemingly landscaped (with partial planting) prior to 1963.

The ornate metal gate at the end of the path to the north of the garden looks to be of the late 19th or very early 20th century. The fountain to the east of this seems to have been constructed after 1901 but before 1920, possibly by then owner Mr. Reade or as part of Lord and Lady Dixon’s c.1919-20 refurbishments. As the plaque states, it was restored in 2002, at which point the fountainhead itself appears to have been replaced.

References – Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL12B/8/15A-M (1862-1928)
2 OS maps, 1857, 1901, 1920-21, 1931, 1939, 1963, 1972

Secondary sources
1 Black Eileen, “Wilmont, Dunmurry: A profile” in ‘Lisburn Historical Society Journal Vol.4’ (1982)
2 Scott, Robert, ‘A breath of fresh air, the story of Belfast’s parks’, (Belfast, 2000) pp. 111-115, 178-179
3 Rankin, Kathleen, ‘Linen houses of the Lagan Valley’ (Belfast, 2002), pp.126-35;
4 Simon, Ben, ‘If trees could talk, the story of woodlands around Belfast’, (Belfast, 2009), pp. 37, 54, Appendix 3-4

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed
Not listed
Not listed
Not listed
Not listed

Evaluation

Red brick walled garden SW of Wilmont House (HB26 16 005A) located within an extensive 134-acre parkland demesne, now a public park, on the W side of Upper Malone Road, known today as Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park (AN-068). The walled garden is contemporary with 'Wilmont', a detached Italianate style country house of c1859 and survives with a later gardener’s shed and bothy. The garden is enlivened by a segmental arched gateway flanked by brick pilasters with stone entablature and the gate is highly ornate in wrought iron. However, it is of a late date and not one of the best examples of the type and its interest has been compromised by extensive recent alterations.

General comments

This record has been re-numbered and was previously HB26/16/022.