Collectors and garden enthusiasts have a rare opportunity to acquire treasured pieces from one of Britain's most celebrated private gardens, created by Sir Roy Strong and Julia Trevelyan Oman CBE. "The Laskett Gardens are one of the great creative achievements in British garden-making. To be entrusted with pieces from this remarkable place is a privilege, and we are delighted to offer them to a new generation of collectors to continue their story."
A selection of statues and historic ornaments from the renowned Laskett Gardens is to feature in Chorley’s forthcoming June Sale - a once-in-a-generation chance to own a piece of one of Britain's most extraordinary private gardens. The sale will be viewed and take place at Chorley's Prinknash Abbey Park.
The Laskett Gardens were created by two towering figures in the arts at the end of the twentieth century: Sir Roy Strong, art historian and former Director of the Victoria & Albert Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, and his late wife, Julia Trevelyan Oman CBE, an award-winning set designer whose work spanned opera, theatre, television and film. Together, they created a richly imaginative garden filled with history, drama and personal expression.
Highlights include pieces originally from the Palace of Westminster, including a carved stone figure of Henry II (estimate £6,000-£8,000) and a carved stone coat of arms of Edward I (£3,000-£5,000). Dating from Wyatt’s Gothic Revival work on the Houses of Parliament around 1805, these pieces were removed after the fire of 1834 and the subsequent rebuilding by Sir Charles Barry.
The magnificent Oman Pinnacle, which once graced All Souls College in Oxford, is estimated at £2,000-£3,000. Julia Trevelyan Oman's grandfather was Sir Charles Oman, a Fellow of the College, Chichele Professor of Modern History and MP for the University.
Inspired by Lawrence Johnston's Hidcote Manor, the four-acre Herefordshire garden unfolded as a breathtaking sequence of enclosed rooms: Italianate, formal and symmetrical, yet softened by the charm of naturalistic planting. Carefully framed vistas led to many of the sculptures and ornaments that will appear in Chorley’s June Sale.
Developed over three decades of marriage and creative partnership, the garden was a testament to two extraordinary artistic lives. Following Julia’s death in 2003, Sir Roy continued its evolution with characteristic dedication. He donated The Laskett to horticultural charity Perennial in 2021 and the garden closed to the public this year while trustees of the charity seek a potential buyer.
Thomas Jenner-Fust, Director at Chorley’s, said:
Garden Photography by Clive Boursnell ©
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