Author: Shelagh Lewins

Early April planting

Planting of the monastery garden continues with a delivery of plants from the National Herb Centre, and a few which were transplanted from my main garden. On this day the third of April 920 AD, Cyneswithe rejoices and contemplates the life of Saint Mary of Egypt, whose life is celebrated on the first of April. Mary lives a most stimulating life. After years of debauchery she repented of her evil ways and was eventually buried with the aid of a passing lion.

Plants so far

Sun
===
Rosa Gallica Officinalis
Achillea millefolium (yarrow)
Coriander
Anethum graviolens (dill)
Marjoram
Chamaemelum nobile “flore plenum” (Double chamomile)
Thymus serpyllum Russetings (Thyme Russetings)
Cornflower
Tanacetum balsamita (Alecost / costmary)
Mustard red frills
Fennel
Lovage
Peony

Part shade
==========
Petroselinum crispum “french” (parsley)
Fragaria vesca (Alpine strawberry)
Rumex acetosa (broad leaved sorrel)
Viola mixed
Inula helenium (Elecampane) tall, sun or part shade
Viola tricolor (heartsease)
Pot marigold, sun or part shade
Primula vulgaris

Shade
=============
Hellebore black double
Galium odoratum (sweet woodruff)
Marrubium vulgare (white horehound)
Primula veris (cowslip)

I have left gaps for the iris germanica and madonna lilies that are on order. I need some large shade-tolerant plant for the last big empty space – not sure what that would be yet, there are various plants I can’t source just now but I’m not sure which are shady.

I will infill with other plants as the season goes on, but it’s a good start! Rumwaldstow is going green!

920 AD, first planting in garden

It is the 27th of March and the monastery garden is finally ready for planting, after a winter of unprecedented rain – the Cherwell meadow has been flooded on and off since October last year!

Brother Julian has worked tirelessly to repair Green Street, the lane that runs north from the monastery gate. The wall is his work also, and he almost single-handedly cleared the site for the monastery garden.

Brother Alf and Sister Cyneswith have overseen the building of the garden beds inside the old Roman fort and on this day the feast of St Rupert1, we planted the garden’s first plant, a fennel plant.2

Bishop Godfrid sent a message to Sister Cyneswithe commending Rumwaldstow for our work towards the glory of the church.

The Anglo-Saxon Garden at Lucy Cavendish College

Text of a leaflet collected some time approximately in the 2005 – 2015 time period

A collection of the herbs that were popular prior to 1066
Lucy Cavendish College
Cambridge
CB3 0BU

Telephone: +44(0)1223 332190
Fax: +44(0)1223 332178
Email: lcc-admin@lists.cam.ac.uk

The garden is open at any time to College visitors and at other times by appointment
Senior Gardener: Helen Seal

An Anglo-Saxon Herb Garden

“What is a herb?” asked Alcuin (AD 735-804), the English monk born and educated in York, who was one of Charlemagne’s advisers.

“The friend of the physician and the praise of cooks”, replied the Emperor, who was so interested in herbs that he decreed that some seventy-three different types, as well as sixteen varieties of fruit and nut trees, be planted in the gardens on imperial estates in every city of the Carolingian empire, as set out in the De Capitulare de Villis of c. AD 800. His definition has stood the test of time and herbs are accepted today as plants which are used for culinary purposes, for their aromas and perfumes, for their medicinal properties, as pesticides, for dyeing, or merely for their beauty.

The distinctions which we commonly make between herbs and vegetables, herbs and weeds, and herbs and flowers were not really established until the development of elaborate ornamental gardens in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the separation of the ‘kitchen garden’ in the 18th century.

The Anglo-Saxon Herb Garden was created at Lucy Cavendish College in 1987 in response to the need to give the College gardens a particular focus of interest. It arose from the researches of Dr. Jane Renfrew and Dr. Debby Banham on various aspects of the knowledge and uses of plants in Anglo-Saxon England. From their research into the actual remains of plants found in archaeological excavations, and references to plants in Anglo-Saxon literature it was possible to compile a list of plants known and used in England at this time.

The physical remains of plants – mainly seeds – have been found on a number of recently excavated sites; for example in Winchester, Southampton, Charlton, Gloucester, Norwich and York.

The main Anglo-Saxon texts referred to are Aelfric’s Colloquy (Nominum herbarum) of AD 995, and Bald’s Leechbook (a medical textbook) of AD 900 – 950. Incidental references to plants occur widely in contemporary literature, including the writings of the Venerable Bede 673-735, Alcuin, and St. Ethelwold for example. There are also direct references to gardens associated with monasteries (but without detailed descriptions or plans) in 9th-century Winchester, 10th-century St. Albans and 10th-century Ely.

It is also clear that monastic libraries sometimes contained copies of Diosorides’ De Materia Medica and of The Herbarium of Apuleius, which is an Anglo-Saxon translation of the original Latin text, incorporating lengthy extracts from Dioscorides. Successive copies of these works were illustrated with drawings from life of the plants from the gardens.

The aim of the garden is to give some idea of the range of plants used in Anglo-Saxon England: as culinary herbs, for fruits or flavourings, for their medicinal properties, for their perfumes, for use as strewing herbs, for dyeing, as insecticides, and so on. Many of the plants fulfilled several purposes. Straweberries, for example, were valued for their fruit at midsummer, their leaves were boiled to be used as a poultice, they could be used for cooling drinks, as a gargle for sore throats, and water distilled with strawberry leaves was used as a skin lotion.

None of the plants in the garden is particularly exotic; most of them are very familiar: but we are not so aware today – as our Anglo-Saxon ancestors were – of all their possible uses.

To elaborate on these uses a folder is kept in the room overlooking the garden so that those wishing to know more can easily find the information.

Leaflet Design by Holly Leaf Design 024 7654 4255

Left side

Apple mint
Spearmint

Top left bed

Elecampane
Rosemary
Fennel
Monkshood
Angelica
Madder
Iris
Woad
Sage
Agrimony
Yarrow
Pot marigold
Costmary

Top middle bed

Dill
Cummin
Balm
Teasel
Mugwort
Lovage
Spurge
Apothecary’s rose
Clary sage
Peony
Rue
Catmint
Cinquefoil
Opium poppy
Mustard
Chervil
Radish

Top right bed (more wooded / wildy?)

Periwinkle
Honeysuckle
Ash
Broom
Elecampane
Perforate St. John’s Wort
Damson
Bramble
Tansy
Selfheal
Primrose
Bay
Rue

Bottom left bed

Corn marigold
Perforate St. John’s Wort
Alexanders
Corncockle
Lily
Christmas Rose
Colchicum
Apothecary’s rose
Parsley
Lesser centaury
Colchicum
Meadow saffron
Betony
Flax
Cornflower
Sweet woodruff

Bottom middle bed

Cowslip
Plantain
Columbine
Horehound
Madonna Lily
Mullein
Chamomile
Vervain
Coriander
Iris
Hyssop
Marjoram
Wild celery
Pennyroyal
Daisy
Field poppy
Heartsease
Winter savory
Thyme

Bottom right bed (more wooded / wildy?)

Bay
Cowslip
Medlar
Marjoram
Butchers broom
Strawberries
Meadowsweet
Spurge

Strathaird House Wall

Garlic
Vine
Sorrel
Selfheal
Feverfew
Mallow
Strawberry
Primrose
Violet
Vine

The following lists give some idea of the range of species and the purposes to which they were used:-

Flavouring herbs

Angelica
Balm
Coriander
Cowslip
Dill
Fennel
Mint
Mugwort
Poppy
Primrose
Radish
Tansy (not a good idea!)
Thyme
Violet
Yarrow

Medicinal herbs

Angelica
Balm
Cinquefoil
Columbine (not a good idea!)
Corncockle
Cornflower
Corn marigold
Coriander
Daisy
Dill
Fennel
Feverfew
Flax
Mallow
Potmarigold
Meadow saffron
Mint
Mugwort
Poppy
Opium poppy
Radish
Strawberry
Violet

Fruits

Damson
Medlar
Strawberry

Flowers

Apothecary’s rose
Columbine
Corncockle
Cornflower
Corn marigold
Cowslips
Feverfew
Flax
Iris
Madonna lily
Meadow saffron (colchicum autumnale)
Pot marigold
Primrose
Violet

Strewing herbs

Balm
Mint
Feverfew
Mugwort
Tansy (latter three also for insecticides)

Cosmetics and Perfumery

Orris root (Iris)
Pot marigold
Rose
Violet
Yarrow

Dye plants

Marigold
Woad
Madder
Tansy
Cornflower
Poppy (ink)

Tenderising meat

Butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus)

Plant Labels October 2017

In addition to the leaflet reproduced above, I visited the garden on 4th October 2017 and wrote down the labels that I could see on the plants. This is probably much the same list but may have more scientific names.

Top left bed

Prunella Vulgaris
Selfheal

Tanacetum Parthenium
Feverfew

Aconitum Napellus
Monkshood

Rosemarinus officinalis
Rosemary

Inula Helenium
Elecampagne

Malva Sylvestris
Mallow

Achillea Millefolium
Yarrow

Angelica Archangelica
Angelica

Foeniculum Vulgare
Fennel

Tanacetum Balsamita
Costmary or Alecost

Alvia Officinalis
Sage

Iris Germanica
Iris

Agrimony Eupatoria
Agrimony

Top middle bed

Anethum Graveolens
Dill

Cuminum Cyminum
Cumin

Artemisia Vulgaris
Mugwort

Salvia Sclarea
Clary Sage

Levisticum Occifinal
Lovage

Dipsacus Fullonem
Teasel

Melissa Officinalis
Lemon Balm

Nepeta Cataria
Catmint

Isatis Tinctoria
Woad

Raphanus Sativus
Wild radish
This needs to be checked because according to Wikipedia, Raphanus Sativus is the edible radish, not wild radish

Sinapis Alba
White Mustard

Rosa Gallica Officinalis
Apothecary’s Rose
This needs to be checked because a bit of googling suggests it wasn’t in Britain before 1200

Potentilla Repens
Cinquefoil

Pots

Mentha Rotundifolia
Applemint

Metha Viridis
Spearmint

Bottom left bed

Gallium (Aperula) Odoratum
Sweet Woodruff

Carthamus Tinctorus
Safflower

Hypericum Perforatum
St John’s Wort

Lonicera Caprifolium
Honeysuckle

Centaurium Erythaea
Centaury

Chrysanthemum Segetum
Corn Marigold

Agrostemma Githago
Corn Cockle

Stachy Officinalis
Betony

Another rosa gallica officinalis (apothecary’s rose)

Calendula Officinalis
Pot Marigold

Centaurea Cyanus
Cornflower

Linum Perenne
Perennial Flax

Rubia Tinctorum
Madder

Smyrnium Olusatrum
Alexanders

Bottom middle bed

Verbascum Thapsus
Mullein

Viola Tricolor
Heartsease

Colchicum Autumnale
Meadow Saffron

Lilium Candidum
Madonna Lily

Primula Veris
Cowslip

Aquilegia Vulgaris
Columbine

Ballota Nigra
Black Horehound

Verbena Officinalis
Vervain

Satureja Montana
Winter Savory

Thymus Vulgaris
Thyme

Mentha Pulegium
Pennyroyal

Hyssopus Officinalis
Hyssop

Bellis Perennis
Daisy

Chamaemuelum Nobile
Chamomile

Coriandrum Sativum
Coriander

Plantago Lanceolata
Ribworth Plantain

Anthriscus Cerefolium
Chervil (label said chevril, I think it’s a typo)

Apium Graveolens
Wild Celery or Smallage

Origanum Vulgare
Marjoram

Arch

Two Malus Sylvrestis (Crab Apple) trained into an archway

The orchard site

Continuing to describe Rumwoldstow as we first took possession, in 2016 (or 916 AD if you are following the history of Rumwoldstow), let me show you some pictures of what is now the young orchard. This is a squareish bit of land to the north of the walled garden which had been planted with a mix of native trees but had been gradually overshadowed by a very tall leilandii hedge to the south, willow to the west and a mixed hedge to the right. The north side had been devastated by the council as part of a plan to build a flood defence along that line, which never actually happened (lots of local politics there!). So we were left with this dark site, partly occupied by a very large willow and a huge sycamore, all the remaining trees leaning desperately northwards trying to get to the light, and then a barren area covered in piles of woodchip. Plus a mound of burned wreckage where the previous owner had burned a lot of inappropriate possessions in what seemed to be a fit of pique – including mattresses, electrical items, entire filing cabinets, cupboards full of clothes…

So here are a bunch of photos to give an idea of how it looked then! First, not quite a 360 degree panorama but this view from the north west shows the mix of blasted heath and deep shadow that we started with. The brook separates the orchard site from Lake Meadow which runs down to the Cherwell (if you ignore the railway line).

Looking south to the north wall of the garden
Rubbly jubbly!
looking west during the February 2017 flooding, you can see the pile of burned goods and the water creeping into the area. And how dark it is!

The original walled garden

Back in 2016, Rumwoldstow was not even an idea. What we had was a walled garden built inside the shell of a breezeblock barn, and to the north a roughly square patch of land overshadowed on three sides by leilandii, willow and rampant hedge. The garden had a certain dishevelled charm but there was nowhere you could sit or grow fruit or other plants, and there was an awful lot of caryx grass and ivy. And to the south were two very large self-seeded sycamore trees, which shaded much of the garden for most of the day.

Above is a panorama of the walled garden as we first encountered it, back in August 2016 (916 AD in the history of Rumwoldstow). This would be just prior to the refounding of the monastery.

Looking north up the garden path
Rockery to the west
And the rockery again, this time looking south to the dilapidated outbuilding
The outbuilding had seen better days!
…and had an open section at the end full of old junk

I think the original design must have been a Japanese-inspired garden with rockeries, but it was all so overgrown that the effect was lost. The outbuilding was leaky and had weird alcoves and internal fittings left over from some previous incarnation, perhaps dairy-related, when this was a working farm and the outbuilding was a lean-to on the side of a barn. Lots of agricultural heritage!