a Jurassic Garden
Above is the famous map "Strata of England and Wales and parts of Scotland" of 1815 by William Smith.
MIMICRI PUBLICATIONS
A Jurassic Garden The story of a landscape by Pamela and Brian Hoyle. Created over the previous thirty years from origins two hundred million years earlier. Published 2010 Photography by the authors except for the kingfisher on page 34 the tree ferns and cycas on page 15. The extract from the Geologic Time Table is by courtesy of the Geological Society of America. contact the
a Jurassic Garden The story of a desirable Somerset home and garden with fascinating natural history
by Pamela and Brian Hoyle
Here is a glimpse of the autumn garden at Manor Barton - Other seasonal views appear throughout the book
introduction An ammonite, a fossil, a Jurassic era relic. He (or she) surfaced in our garden. Close relatives of our ammonite explain why ninety miles of "Jurassic Coast" have become a World Heritage Site. That distinction had to wait two hundred million years! Having found pretty good fossils barely fifteen miles from that Coast why not claim recognition for our "Jurassic Garden"? When our ammonite with all his chums gasped their last nothing much happened for an eternity. Oceans appeared then disappeared leaving their burial grounds for geologists to discover and understand as recently as the eighteenth century. William “Strata� Smith (1769-1839) gave the world the first geological map. This brilliant self taught Englishman dedicated his life to walking the United Kingdom plotting the nature and age of the earth beneath his feet. He searched for fossils wherever he went. He learned that fossils were reliable indicators of the age of the beds in which he found them. William Smith published his findings with many pictures from his fossil collection (shown on page 9). His collection is especially good in Jurassic fossils he collected from the Cornbrash, Kimmeridge Clay, Oxford Clay, Oolitic Limestone and other horizons in the sequence. They included many types of brachipods, ammonites and molluscs characteristic of the shallow seas in which they shuffled off their mortal coils!. His geological map of 1815 ("...Strata of England & Wales..."on page 7) was the first ever; marking the birth of modern geology. Such maps reveal the extent and location of the Jurassic strata. Stretching from the area around Whitby to the southern coastline. Our account here is one glimpse of those fossil beds which emerge as a Garden location at our home in Misterton, a village in Somerset near the Dorset border about fifteen miles from the world-famous Jurassic coastline. Here lie Charmouth and Lyme Regis the particularly well known and historic fossil location where celebrated fossil collector Mary Anning lived and worked in the early nineteenth century. Not pretending that our fossil discoveries are important in any academic sense we certainly think their origins from an unimaginable era are a natural context for much of our gardening today. You have heard about Jurassic Park, the Jurassic Coast - now please come to theJurassic Garden! This book is about our fossil rich garden and the property it serves known as Manor Barton.
These two large ammonites saw the light of day when we excavated the lake. Like many other finds we need expert opinion to give a more accurate identity for them. Above is the famous map "Strata of England and Wales and parts of Scotland" of 1815 by William Smith. He explored canals, quarries as his occupation took him across the land. The fossils he discovered were the basis of plotting and naming the stratified earth in which he found them. Collectors had prized fossils of all animals and plants since recorded history. Generally there was poor understanding so superstition and fable were common. The later map at the right gives a clearer illustration of the different strata. We are located on what this map identifies as the Oolitic strata that we know as the Jurassic period. This yellow key in the legend stretches fom Yorkshire, Whitby area to the now famed World Heritage site, Jurassic Coast. The best known is historic Lyme Regis. This was home to Mary Anning 17991847 She became an eminent paleontologist, collector and dealer making important finds in Lyme Bay cliffs and foreshores.
The picture left shows a varied selection of fossils from our gardens. Each was unearthed in the normal course of gardening since 1976. Some examples were embedded in rock where they had settled millions of years before. Others were scattered by natural disturbance while many were relocated by major earthworks in recent landscaping projects and earlier farming These shown are typical Jurassic examples from the Inferior Oolite and Yeovil Sands of the locality. Specimens include ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, gastropods, coral. Hardly a day's work passes without a new (or very old!) addition to our collection. Confidence that the best is still to come promises the thrill of discovery and makes hard work easier.
The relevant sequence of geologic ages and sub-divisions is illustrated here in the Geological Society of America’s 2009 Time Scale. The colour reproduction is a page from William Smith’s 1815 monograph on identifying strata by fossils. The same year Smith published his famous map.
Throughout this narrative we have reflected the Japanese garden theme with Haiku verse also the Geological Jurassic record with the poem "Evolution" by Langdon Smith
The black and white illustration is Plate 44;(Ammonitida) from the work of Ernst Haeckel, “Kunstformen der Natur” (1904) This illustrates the widely varied forms geologists used to identify strata
The following stanzas taken from "Evolution" a poem written over an extended spell by Langdon Smith (1858-1908), an American jounalist, express the sense of wonder we might all experience when we reflect on the hidden meanings of our place in the universe...alongside the fossils of course?
When you were a tadpole and I was a fish In the Paleozoic time, And side by side on the ebbing tide We sprawled through the ooze and slime, Or skittered with many a caudal flip Through the depths of of the Cambrian fen My heart was rife with the joy of life, For I loved you even then. Mindless we lived and mindless we loved And mindless at last we died; And deep in the rift of the Caradoc drift We slumbered side by side. The world turned on in the lathe of time, The hot lands heaved amain, Til we caught our breath from the womb of death And crept into life again...
Living Fossils In his “Origin of Species” (1859) Charles Darwin coined the phrase “living fossils”. This term has since been widely used loosely to describe creatures and plants of today’s world. These look as if they had stepped out of the extinct world. The coelacanth marine fish is an often mentioned example. We have not come across one in the lake yet! The link with the Jurassic period is surprisingly strong in the garden. Plants living alongside the dinosaurs and earlier fossils are not strangers in our gardens today. Plant fossils are less common than fossils of robust animal creatures like the molluscs; Even so leaves of plants and trees are found world-wide in the carboniferous beds. Here they give clearly recognisable records. These plants are evident today as ferns, conifers, Gingko biloba, planes, sumach, acers, poplars, oak, palms. The Monkey Puzzle tree is sometimes referred to as a living fossil. The Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia), liquidambar, cycads, horsetails are in the “living fossil” category. Such plants are well qualified to live in a Jurassic Garden today. We have cultivated many of them.
Manor Barton was converted from barns of adjacent Manor Farm. The 17th century farm house is referred to in Pevsner along with the nearby Manor House. The old Dairy adjoins Manor Barton. A fine carriage drive leads to the road connecting Crewkerne with Dorchester. Builders used various qualities of sandstone quarried locally. Greatly favoured was famous honey coloured Ham Stone. Most of the building took advantage of the bed rock for foundations. It is in such strata that most of the fossil record has emerged. This was most evident when the lake was created in 1992. Extensive mechanical digger work and landscaping turned up some impressive specimens. These are only rarely whole, undamaged finds. It is amazing that examples look so good as they do at such vast age. We have enjoyed learning as we brought pieces into their Sunday-best appearance by cleaning and dressing them up. Occasionally a particularly large ammonite was found. Never an entire fossil but enough to reveal an original size of one metre across. These cast fossils are heavy. Often the timeless processes of nature have filled the internal cavities with a crystalline matrix of quartz adding beauty an interest.
At left are a series of fossils found in our gardens over the years. Top is a form of coral second, below are a few of many belemnites that surface regularly. Thirdly is a large ammonite found when digging out the lake. It is about one metre across. The inner space is filled with crystallized minerals. The bottom picture shows bivalve molluscs that turn up in dozens.. On the right you see a fossil ammonite having waited 200 million years embedded in a rock patiently waiting to be spotted. Below is an assortment of raw specimens as they appeared on discovery The oyster shells are discarded remnants of meals of former occupants. Other "finds" include coins like that shown. Is the next item a bomb detonator? Household waste was simply dumped by ancestors for us to find. The final picture is a miscellany; buttons, pipe, cartridge, arrow head, toys
Manor Barton is the red roofed building
Bird’s Eye views
History benefits when property owners preserve records often discarded as useless or outdated. Luckily we have some interesting documents from Manor Bartons' emergence from Manor Farm and the estate it served in 1958. Among these we have a watercolour painting and several aerial photos. The Internet now gives access to birds’ eye views of the landscape on a scale and quality that previous history cannot offer. Such graphics take away the guesswork from a view of history that the birds had kept to themselves. The black and white photo is dated October 1962. The Manor House is seen bottom right (now divided into three dwellings) Manor Barton is centre-stage along walled vegetable gardens. The Farm House is next door nearer the camera. The lower colour picture looks north to south showing work in progress creating the lake (top left) in 1992. The lake was able to take constant water supply from one of the two streams.
This work yielded many deep set fossils thus urging the Jurassic garden theme forward. Any up-to-date bird would spy a view of the lake shrouded by mature trees . The red roofs of Manor Barton were long ago the animal barns of the farm (next door) . The Manor House (now three dwellings) had the large walled grounds behind while in front the lawn was reputed to have once been the Misterton village green! Lower right are the old Estate Manager’s house and office. The other two pictures are internet sourced views in 2009. These convey a wider landscape of Misterton village. It is possible to see the building extension to the living area added in 2004. This created a superb marriage of house and garden. Views from the new balcony were a delight we were pleased to share with low flying birds. You can see what we mean in the seasonal pictures which are a constantly rich reward of that project.
For some years we had looked for a way to make use of the otherwise dreary grazing let out to a farmer. The stream alongside led us to survey the land . We found that natural drainage with a constant stream feed made a lake possible. The photos here give an idea of that work. We created access from the drive and highway. One of the plans we worked from is on the right. We needed to get environmental permission. That required expensive announcements in the London Gazette! After completion the scene naturalized amazingly quickly. It is endless enjoyment and fascination and a new feature on maps.
Manor Barton’s Jurassic Garden link goes back in connections other than discovered fossils. In those times dinosaurs and other mammals wandered over our garden. Some would have been herbivores dining on plant species that did not vanish. It is a natural choice to use such plants to suggest that ancient landscape. This draws upon the rich fern species along with many cycads. Trees like the Monkey Puzzle and the Gingko are survivors of the paleozoic era. Horsetail plants are plentiful with notable herbal benefits. Tree ferns are valuable additions. Remarkably a species thought to be long extinct was discovered in Australia; The Wollemi Pine prospers in its secrecy while its future is assured by propagation and wider distribution. It will be an expensive but highly desirable plant with a purpose. Our early gardening focused on Japanese themes and traditions. The emerging fossil interest did not conflict with this. Much of Japanese garden culture reflects the ancient world. Certainly ferns and mosses are very much at home alongside treasured and featured rocks of great age. Evolution - poem by Langdon Smith continues ...We
were amphibians, scaled and tailed, And drab as a dead man's hand; We coiled at ease 'neath the dripping trees Or trailed through the mud and sand. Croaking and blind, with our three-clawed feet Writing a language dumb, With never a spark in the empty dark To hint at a life to come Yet happy we lived and happy we loved, And happy we died once more; Our forms were rolled in the clinging mold Of a Necomian shore. The eons came and the eons fled And the sleep that wrapped us fast Was riven away in a newer day And the night of death was past. Then light and swift through the jungle trees We swung in our airy flights, Or breathed in the balms of the fronded palms In the hush of the moonless nights; And oh! what beautiful years were these When our hearts clung each to each; When life was filled and our senses thrilled In the first faint dawn of speech.
Dramatic fountain displays add exciting atmosphere to supper on the balcony
In its Jurassic setting Manor Barton is more than a garden; it is a house and a home for the resident fossils for over thirty years. We have tried always to enhance and improve life here. Ready for new challenges and new ideas it seemed an excellent plan to put this record together. We and many others who have been
welcome visitors and guests will have lasting memories in these pages. It is good to pass on the chronicle for newcomers who might want to continue it. We hope they will get the sense of belonging to a unique inheritance of natural history as they cultivate their garden
The garden room and studio annexe extended the house in 2004. The style of a Japanese build Sits well in the gardens. The views from the balcony through the seasons are breathtaking
The house needed better views of the garden. The boss needed a place to work. A studio cum garden room with balcony was a neat solution. The lie of the land would give a goodly elevation. As it turned out the views are breathtaking. Now there is nothing finer than to relish the ambience, sounds of birds, water cascades and fountains. While we were at it there was sense in making the whole project into a self-contained unit. So bedroom, en-suite wet room, kitchen and storage galore came in the package. The garden room has great south, east and northerly scenery. The roof light makes for a good studio for a work-from-home benefit. It was one of our better ideas. Over the years as we all find, various bright ideas come upon us as you can see in the drawings alongside. We made an aviary . We kept doves in a home made home, We made a Japanese style bridge. A boat was made and launched on the lake at a birthday party for the old fossil in residence. many koi were put in the lake. They thrived until, inevitably, they vanished overnight. Why? How? Don't know but it might have been a mink or other predator. That was a sad experience. But the coarse fish; roach and perch, seem to prosper still: Until we hook them out...(but put them back.) We built a summer house in the distant garden. As a collection of fine trees matured we have delightful paths to walk in tranquil peace. What more can you ask?
the seasons
paradise Many themes are evident in Manor Barton gardens. Apart from the dominant Jurassic age with its fossil relics being set in a landscape of "living fossil" trees and plants, there was the farm life out of which our home arose in about 1959 from the animal barns. When we arrived in 1976 the site of the lake-to-be and beyond was a large cider apple orchard.. From time to time horse shoes are dug up. There are large deposits of pottery shards. Plenty of oysters were enjoyed by some occupants long passed; we often pick out the shells. An arrow or spear head was detected within feet of a WW2 cartridge shell case. The curious object on page 11 looks like a bomb or shell detonator. (Can anyone help please?) Against this background we have very much wanted to follow the charms of Japanese themes. Flowering prunus and sakuras are evident. The ornaments add that oriental air. It is at once apparent that water is everywhere in the garden. So we have another major theme as a water garden. We were luckily able to use the streams to feed the lake. (We pay a modest annual abstraction charge) We added fountains and made cascades. The sounds are music. To lie back in the boat in the sun is a dream. Many visitors leave with one word, "Paradise"
Water lilies thrive while rhododendrons struggle. Campsis, wisteria and peonies are happy. The flower spike of the Gunnera manicata lends a primitive Jurassic character
haiku verse In the cherry blossom's shade there's no such thing as a stranger Koayashi Issa (1763-1828)
A clear waterfall into the ripples fall green pine needles Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)
Spring air woven moon And plum scent Matsuao Basho
A traditional verse form from Japan... In its native form the three lines are made up of 5-7-5 syllables. Usually you find the name of the season or a very good key word clue to it. Always important is the sense of this emotion conveyed by weather, insects, birds. Apart from this portrayal of nature a good haiku offers an identity between different things often in a surprising way: a Zen quality. The original Japanese structure made use of that language to lend associations that are very difficult to translate. Native literary associations unfamiliar to foreigners were often used. Because of this English versions ask a lot from the reader. We should look for the meaning "between the lines" and not be too literal minded. It is a good idea to look for or simply allow the meaning behind the words to sneak up on us! It is as if we seize the moment so that we may enjoy an experience sharing a truth and beauty that might otherwise escape us
The first snow Just enough to bend the leaves of the daffodils Matsuo Basho
Three loveliest things: moonlight...cherry-bloom... now I go seeking silent snow Rippo
Now from cherry trees... millions of maidens flying fierce war lord storm Sadaiye
White cloud of mist above white cherry blossoms... dawn-shining mountain Basho
I have known lovers cherry-bloom...the nightingale I will sleep content Anon
Evolution by Langdon Smith ...continues Thus life by life and love by love We passed through the cycles strange, And breath by breath and death by death We followed the chain of change. Til there came a time in the law of life When over the nursing sod The shadows broke and the soul awoke In a strange, dim dream of God... And that was a million years ago In a time that no man knows; Yet here tonight in the mellow light We sit at Delmonico's. Your eyes are deep as the Devon springs, Your hair is dark as jet, Your years are few, your life is new, Your soul untried, and yet -Our trail is on the Kimmeridge clay And the scarp of the Purbeck flags; We have left our bones in the Bagshot stones And deep in the Coraline crags; Our love is old, our lives are old, And death shall come amain; Should it come today, what man may say We shall not live again
Trees iin blossom or in autum leaf colour the effect is captivating. In winter the spruces,conifers and bamboo play a valuable role. Here magnolia, liquidambar and weeping willow with its feet in the pond are show-stoppers. Impressive Black Poplars were registered in 1993 by the Daily Telegraph in a national campaign as noteworthy specimens. Walnut birch and ash trees are maturing.
Centre circle seats in the theatre of the seasons sees nature acting an unending drama. A protected balcony, warm and dry in any weather is pure pleasure. The sounds of water bubbling , winds in the leafy canopy with birdsong is an orchestral setting against an ever changing panorama. Paradise.
Fur, feather and fins are in residence on a large scale. We see foxes, squirrels, deer geese, dragonflies, butterflies, beetles, snakes. Among them a few here are worth a closer look. Top left the miniature monster is the larva of a Lobster moth found devouring a walnut tree. The other larva right above is a Pale Tassock moth. Centre below is a Humming bird Moth in action. The heron right comes regularly. A love-hate affair.
Evolution continued God wrought our souls from the Tremadoc beds And furnished them wings to fly He sowed our spawn in the world's dim dawn, And I know that it shall not die, Though cities have sprung above the graves Where the crook-boned men made war And the ox-wain creaks o'er the buried caves Where the mummied mammoths are. For we know the clod, by the grace of God Will quicken by voice and breath; And we know that Love with gentle hand Will beckon from death to death And so, as we linger at luncheons here O'er many a dainty dish Let us drink anew to the time when you Were a Tadpole and I was a Fish From "Evolution" by Langdon Smith
Adrift in an open boat author Pamela Hoyle with grandaughter Eleanor Hoyle. Landlocked artist grandpa observes mariners
When gardening is out of the question it is time to start painting. Murals have added to the oriental water themes. Doors in the study have been given a trompe l'oeil treatment; make-believe extra shelves allow display of fossils, geologic specimens and trophy fish.. . Other scenes bring the exotic outdoors into the living rooms. One period was devoted to painting in the manner of old Japanese wall panel and folding screens. These usually take a graphic idiom related to the verse form Haiku found elsewhere in this book. Artist Brian Hoyle looks for the moment frozen in time. The instant of realisation as in Zen culture. Various other styles have focused on portraits, landscapes, family history subjects and animals. The oriental flavour was made the subject of magazine arts feature in Somerset Life magazine. The writer linked this to the gardens, paintings and house in a happy combination.
When gardening allows it is time for painting. In this gallery are a few of the works of artist Brian Hoyle. Colour, drawing and composition perform in a useful way. The wide scope of subjects is best described as a journey through my favourite things and that enjoyment can best be shared with like-minded spirits. There is a warm bond between landscaping and painting.
The Jurassic Coast. A World Heritage Site This painting by Brian Hoyle shows West Bay cliffs in Dorset, south of Bridport
Another fossil find in the Jurassic Garden, in Somerset, England