The Rose Garden was designed by Robert Marnock in 1858. It was restored in c. 1985 to the original plans by WGT member Paul Edwards and re-opened by the Princess of Wales. In 2016 most of this was torn out and replaced by the “Horrible Histories” maze. This was done without the planning consent required for a registered Grade I garden and/or by a change of setting to a Grade I listed building. We are objecting to the application for retrospective consent and have requested a formal investigation of the case.
Update
The retrospective planning consent was recently turned down (August 2018) by Warwick District Council. However, the decision only requires that the Viking Ship feature be removed, as being the only structure over six feet tall. There will be no obligation to restore the rose garden. Sadly, the planning officer has taken the patently absurd interpretation of “change of setting to a listed Grade I building” to apply only to what is visible from the castle, thereby removing the statutory protection that this part of the garden ought to have had and instead placing it under the toothless protection of the Register of Parks and Gardens.
