Country Estate Masterplan & Contemporary Garden Design, Newmarket
Transforming a Grade II Listed Country Estate
A long-term landscape masterplan for a three acre Grade II listed country estate near Newmarket, Suffolk. Commissioned by a London based couple as their retreat and future retirement home, the project demonstrates how a historic country property can be transformed through carefully planned phases over a number of years.
Before the gardens could begin, the house itself underwent a meticulous two year renovation, restoring the historic building while carefully adapting it for modern living. The landscape transformation has now been underway for over two years, with each phase contributing to a wider vision that will ultimately create a series of distinctive garden spaces connected by architecture, planting and carefully framed views across the estate.
Rather than delivering a single finished garden, the project has been conceived as an evolving landscape that will continue to mature for decades.
Contemporary Country Estate Garden Design
The completed phases have established the framework of the new landscape, each creating a unique destination while remaining connected through a restrained material palette, architectural planting and a strong relationship with the surrounding countryside.
The first phase centred on the formal gardens surrounding the house. A generous limestone pool terrace forms the heart of the design, complemented by a contemporary larch-clad pool house with a living sedum roof, helping to regulate internal temperatures while allowing the building to blend naturally into its setting. The expansive formal lawn provides a calm foreground to the wider landscape, while box-headed hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) topiary frames long views across the estate.
Adjacent to the formal lawn, the study garden introduces a more architectural character through crisp parterres and bold blocks of Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'. A bespoke curved corten steel screen separates this space from the pool terrace. Its sweeping form echoes the geometry of the opposing knapped flint retaining wall, while the laser-cut wave pattern references the decorative render detailing of the Grade II listed house, creating a contemporary interpretation of traditional craftsmanship.
The second phase introduced a new arboretum of more than thirty specimen trees, creating a long-term legacy for the estate. Over time, the developing canopy will frame a network of gently winding paths that meander through woodland planting and ornamental shrubs, leading visitors to secluded seating areas and carefully positioned sculptures. Designed as a place of quiet discovery, the arboretum will offer an ever-changing experience throughout the seasons while providing a natural transition between the formal gardens and the surrounding landscape.
The third phase focused on the arrival experience, transforming the driveway into a carefully choreographed journey. Naturalistic planting and sculptural topiary frame views towards the house, while a Japanese inspired niche provides a moment of pause, combining a contemporary water feature, characterful boulders and beautifully pillow-pruned Taxus. The result is an entrance that balances restraint with craftsmanship, setting the tone for the gardens beyond.
Looking Ahead
The fourth phase will complete the masterplan with the creation of a wilderness garden spanning more than an acre. Existing mature trees and a natural pond will be enhanced with naturalistic planting to encourage biodiversity while introducing rich seasonal interest.
A new timber viewing deck overlooking the pond will become a peaceful destination within the landscape, offering expansive views back across the estate towards the formal gardens, pool terrace and developing arboretum.
Like the finest country estates, the grounds have been designed not only for today, but for the decades ahead. As the trees mature, planting develops and each phase settles into the landscape, the estate will become increasingly rich, layered and characterful. A garden that rewards time and reflects the lives of its owners.