An HS2 archaeological dig has uncovered one of the best persevered 16th century ornamental gardens ever discovered in England, rivalling those of Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace.
The site of once-sprawling flower beds and gravel paths, uncovered to the east of the Birmingham section of the high-speed line, are comparable in size to the Elizabethan gardens of Kenilworth Castle.
The shape of what was once Coleshill Manor and a well-defined octagonal moat were originally picked up by air photography, during a site assessment of the rail route.
An artist’s impression of the moated manor and its gardens (HS2/PA)
Discovery, near Coleshill, has been dubbed Warwickshire s answer to Hampton Court
It is being excavated because it is in the path of the HS2 railway line which is being built
The manor building itself was first found two years ago and now aerial shots show the outline of its gardens
They measured around 1,000 ft long and were created by owner Sir Robert Digby to impress his new Irish heiress wife in the 16th century
Archaeology news: Sir Robert Digby built his home in the modern style (Image: HS2)
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He said in a statement: “It’s fantastic to see HS2’s huge archaeology programme making another major contribution to our understanding of British history.
“This is an incredibly exciting site, and the team has made some important new discoveries that unlock more of Britain’s past.”
Wessex Archaeology’s Project Officer, Stuart Pierson described the discovery as a career-high.
He said: “For the dedicated fieldwork team working on this site, it’s a once in a career opportunity to work on such an extensive garden and manor site, which spans 500 years.