Rhinefield

Master keeper's lodge greatly enlarged by Romaine Walker and Tanner for Miss Mabel Zoe Walker (1866-1934), only child of Thomas Walker of Eastwood Hall, and heiress of the Eastwood Colliery fortune, who married Edward Lionel Munro, RN (1862-1920), in 1887. When Mrs Walker-Munro died her unsettled estate was worth £92,573 gross, with net personalty of £51,573.Gilpin, p. 120: Near this place stands Rhinfield-lodge; the situation of which is perhaps as pleasing, tho not so grand, as that of Boldre-wood. it stands on a spreading hill, incircled with groves of oak, among which indeed greater destruction hath been made, for the sake of the view, than seems to have been necessary. As the ground falls on every side from the hill, on which the house stands, so on every side, it soon begins to rise again, tho very gently, expanding by degrees into a vast circle of forest-scenery of every species--extensive woods--skirted heaths-intermistures of wood and lawn--and allthis landscape exhibited through the various removes of distance.Batey p. 45 Some lodges such as Rhinefield, once the hunting lodge of Charles II, set in a “vast circle of forest scenery of every species – extensive woods, skirted heaths – intermixtures of wood and lawn” even managed to present their preserves picturesquely and earned Gilpin’s praise. [presumably quotation is from Gilpin]Bilikoski p. 38 ‘they adopted a Jacobean theme; the architectural Jacobean motifs found inside the house being carried on through the balustrading and gateways in the gardens ...The formal gardens at Rhinefield House are contemporary with those at Brockenhurst. A comprehensive collection of photographs taken during the construction of the house and gardens in the 1890’s have made it possible to reconstruct the sequence of the gardens at Rhinefield. Indeed the collection includes some photographs of the gardens at Brockenhurst and feature the visiting Miss Mabel Walker, later Mrs Walker Munro, for whom the gardens and house at Rhinefield were built. The gardens were probably built by the architect of the house, Romaine-Walker, who is known ot have designed the parterre garden at Luton Hoo, however, no plans for the gardens and house at Rhinefield are as yet known. The gardens were laid out in a series of terraces with a central canal emphasised by yew hedges and a gravel walk. Flanking the canal nearest to the house were two parterre gardens enclosed by yew hedes. Another topiary garden was set out int he form of a Tudor rose and there was a maze, an open air theatre and croquet lawn.