Redefining Garden Restoration in Yorkshire: Goddards Case Study

“An amazing gem of a garden”—that’s how the head gardener describes a small Arts and Crafts property in northern England called Goddards. Goddards was designed from 1925 to 1935 by garden architect George Dillistone, whose style has been likened to world famous garden designer Gertrude Jekyll. While Goddards is not a Sissinghurst or of Hampton Court fame, it is a historical National Trust garden worthy of attention for the lessons it can teach us in how contemporary restorations are currently being redefined. This case study examined the challenges and issues that surfaced during Goddards’ ongoing restoration process. Goddards’ on-site managers pursued the lofty goals of historical conservation and restoration, with extensive archival information in hand such as landscape designs, drawings, plant lists, correspondence, photographs and memories. But Goddards’ caretakers continued to struggle with the demands of day-to-day maintenance, a limited budget, limited resources, a small staff, and The National Trust’s “one-size-fits-all” guidelines. Other factors often stood in the way of the goals of restoration such as the garden’s changing conditions, the “every day” priorities of the garden’s caretakers (which may conflict with a restoration or compromise it), gaps in historical documentation and the safety concerns and needs of visitors. A “small cog” in the National Trust’s wheel house, the garden’s future has been tenuous as it competed for the attention and a firm commitment by the administrators of this national charity to move forward. The National Trust’s own restoration history has influenced what and how restoration was taking shape at Goddards. The Trust is considered a pioneer in restoration through its care for more than 350 historic sites across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. And yet, it’s only been since the turn of the 21st century that the Trust has truly advanced its philosophy and approach to conservation. Leaders at the trust have developed a conservation toolkit which includes its six principles of conservation, a Consumer Performance Indicator assessment process, “Statements of Significance” developed for each property, as well as a value scale. These developments have changed the way restoration and conservation is now currently understood and implemented in the U.K. and ultimately has influenced the restoration hopes and futures for gardens everywhere.