Southwood, Sheffield

‘Southwood’ is a large detached stone house built in the suburbs of Sheffield around 1900 for a local ‘Steel Baron’ and his family. The present clients have lived in the house for over 25 years. The children have grown and the couple sold more than half their garden to a house builder, leaving a south-facing back garden of around 22 x 30m. This meant that the way the garden was used needed to change. The focus needed to shift to the rear garden, whilst retaining a large conifer to obscure the view of the new house next door and retain privacy.

The brief was to make the garden more accessible from the house. The house is tall with four floors at back but two floors at the front. The style was to be traditional and appropriate to the age of the house, with reflective water to look down upon from the main living areas on the first floor. The design creates a larger paved area that is more in scale with the height of the building, giving a firmer ‘base’ and a grander feel.

Chris Parsons of Hallam Garden Design was consulted before the land was sold and suggested alterations to the doors of the lower ‘board room’, so that it could be converted to a garden room and access improved. This has proved very successful with parties and open gardens.

The loggia was built for clients to sit outside and view the pool when it was raining, create a focal point and to help obscure the new house from view.

Roses, topiary, lavender and traditional planting were required, along with a composting area and plenty of trees and shrubs. The plants include: Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Cornus kousa, Lilac, Delphinium, Heuchera, Anthemis, Pittosporum, Lavender, Geranium, Philadelphus, Stipa gigantea, Astrantia, Betula, Malus.