Garden Designers & Landscape Gardeners
Garden Buildings in South & East England

Arches, Screens and Gates.

Top left - a group of Tudor style arches arranged in a square to make a cloistered wall in a courtyard at the English Country Garden. Seen here in the evening sun festooned with scented roses and evergreen Jasmine.
Below left - on the opposite side of the house at The English Country Garden we used the same style of arch to span this wide terrace.
Right - the heavy arch in the Garden of 5 Arches in west London made from solid oak 20cm square posts and cross beam. 

In the Garden Of  5 Arches this was the principal arch made from heavier timber than the other 4 and larger in its dimensions. It served a practical function as part of a barrier which spanned the garden to prevent children from going un-accompanied to the pond and waterfall. The sunken, curving path was bordered by a fence with a hardwood handrail cut to match its curvature, tropical bamboo was used as spindles. The bamboo gate was curved to match the arch tips.

These arches were an integral part of the deck at the Exotic Woodland In The City where the deck lead out from the house almost at 1st floor level. It was supported on heavy timbers, so we continued the posts up above the deck height and put cross beams on them to make this series of 3 arches. The fact that they are part of one structure and of a repeated design in the same colour gives them a high impact and continuity. They frame all of the views to the garden and looking from the garden they make the transition from exotic plants, to exotic architecture around the house, draped in climbing scented plants. Their black colour is echoed in the Phyllostachys nigra - black bamboo planted next to them.

Arches are one of our favourite semi architectural features. They frame views, make paths into promenades, they give occasion to entrances and transistions in style and mood from one part of a garden to another. They made this courtyard into a kind of cloistered walk. They can be filled with trellis or other material to create the feeling of enclosure, or partial enclosure, they can be draped in climbing plants or naked, painted, stained with endless different shapes and proportions. Here in the English Country Garden they have softened this courtyard-like area so that entertaining for large numbers of people, ameteur dramatics, prize draws when the garden is open to the public can take place here

Left - the four smaller arches in the Garden of 5 Arches framing the curving stepping stone path that leads around the lawn to the principle arch and gate. As you walk under these arches you encounter different scented climbers and see the garden through the posts that are all set at slightly different angles. They help to reinforce the curved shape of the lawn which detracts from the parallel straight lines of the fences in this long narrow typical London garden. The series of posts running along side the lawn make an eye catching vertical feature when seen from the house at ground floor level and the cross beams changing angles are appreciated more from the first floor windows.
Right - the straight cross beam arch at the English Town Garden. The simplicity of this design relies on the heavy weight dimensions of the timber for its impact, and its placement directly opposite the gate in the background, and alignment with the paths ensures that its position frames views and walkways. 

Left - this photo of the Garden Of 5 Arches shows how you encounter the 4 arches first of all and only as you turn the corner on the 'S' bend in the path do you face the principle arch, which is end on to your view here and partially hidden by plants at ground level.
Right - we re-paved the terrace adjoining this arts and crafts house in the English Town Garden and replaced the existing 'fencing' style garden gate with a bespoke Tudor style gate and fence panel.

Left - we used 'flying' arches here in the English Country Garden without supporting posts so that the large terrace below could remain as one large open space to be used for seating large numbers.
Right - we enclosed the far end of this terrace with the same arches but filled with trellis to form screens that give an intimate feel to this area 

This set of of 4 arches in the Church Gardens supported climbers over a curving stepping stone path. By mounting trellis panels between pairs of the arches, the walk was partially enclosed, and made the location for the bench feel slightly set aside from the rest of the garden. In a small space this group of arches helped to subtley partition the garden making two areas and introducing an element of surprise as they partially concealed the seat which could be 'discovered' on the walk under the arches.