Friday 12 July 2019

Calling On Clare

Most people have seen Clare College in Cambridge without even realising. It stands cheek by jowl with King's and if you've seen that classic view of King's College Chapel from the river then you've at least had a glimpse of Clare standing right alongside.


Last Sunday The Fellows' Garden at Clare College was open to the public as part of the National Gardens Scheme. These gardens are usually off-limits to visitors, only the senior staff of the college being able to wander here on a regular basis.


During the 1930s the garden had become very neglected, but after the war it was decided to renovate the whole area, redesigning the garden though incorporating some elements of the old plan. The man put in charge of the scheme was Prof E N Wilmer.


When I was growing up in Grantchester just outside Cambridge, Nevill Willmer could often be seen about the village. He was a keen sketcher and painter who published a couple of thin volumes of his drawings, entitled Old Grantchester and The River Cam, each illustration being accompanied by notes on the history and associations of each scene. Other than that most villagers simply knew that he was "some sort of perfesser at the colleges".


In fact he was at that time Emeritus Professor of Histology which, in case you don't know, is the microscopic study of cells and tissues. He also had a great interest in how the human eye and brain perceive colour.


As you may have perceived for yourself from the pictures so far, Nevill Willmer designed the garden to contain as many different types of garden as he could fit into the space - different "cells" one might say. He also used his skill as a painter to construct a garden which acted as a frame for different views.


His plantings often drew on the theories of colour perception: red flowers were placed in front of blue to create a feeling of depth.


He is also said to have subtly narrowed the width of paths so that distances appeared greater than they were (though it was too subtle for me to spot!)


These yellow and blue borders were one of his great delights and, after dinner in the college, he would lead people here so they could observe how, as the twilight waned, the blues became lighter and the yellows darker.


There is at present a ten-year plan to return Prof Willmer's garden to its original state, some of the trees and shrubs having grown so large as to block the views which he intended.


It's a wonderful garden to wander around, being full of nooks and crannies which make it seem much bigger than it really is. 


The garden is open on just a few weekends each year to raise money for various charities. 



Take care.

17 comments:

  1. Your shots capture that special magic the garden possesses.

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  2. This looks so beautiful....Tried to find something by Willmer, but even bookfinder failed.

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    1. Yes, the two little books I mentioned were just sold locally and I've never seen them for sale anywhere else, but to me they opened my eyes to the history and beauty that is all around. I suppose I try to produce something similar on this blog.

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  3. I doubt that most of us could have viewed and conceived the garden in the way that the good professor did, but the results are stunning and very pleasing to the eye. I am sure you deemed it a privilege to visit.

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  4. What a beautiful garden. He really had quite an eye and vision.

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  5. Such a gorgeous garden. That man had an eye for beauty!

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  6. Exceptionally beautiful grounds. Very well designed. Seems too bad they're not open to the public a little more often.

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  7. Wonderful garden! Those blue and yellow borders are unique!

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  8. What a beautiful place to wander in....that last shot is a wonderful capture.

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  9. How gorgeous! I wonder, how many gardeners does it take to maintain it? Must be a whole squad.

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  10. Hi John - that must be a wonder to behold ... while Willmer himself must be fascinating to learn about ... what a great post - I'd love to visit on one of the open days ... sometime, perhaps! Cheers Hilary

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  11. Another fantastic garden, great to have the opportunity to see it.

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  12. I had the pleasure of meeting professor willmer many times. My mum used to care for his wife and when she passed away the professor asked my mum to stay on and care for him, although he only wanted company. The professor welcomed me and my dad into his home and we often stayed. He drew a portrait of my dad and I have many drawings of pigs that he did for me...a true gentleman.

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    1. Thanks for your memories of Prof Willmer. I remember his wife too as she occasionally visited my mother.

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