Mount Grounds

Fleetwood, Lancashire

Mount Grounds in Fleetwood was a heritage landscape restoration with the responsibility of working within a rare and distinctive urban park designed as the centrepiece of Decimus Burton’s plan for the town. The brief was to restore the character of the Grade II registered garden while making it inviting, legible and resilient for contemporary public use. The challenges were practical as well as historic: repairing paths and terraces, reinstating railings, improving long borders and rockeries, and ensuring the elevated Pavilion and views across Fleetwood and Morecambe Bay remained central to the experience.

design

My design thinking was to respect the neoclassical structure of the site while refreshing the planting so it offered colour, movement and seasonal interest in a coastal setting. Robust pathways, terracotta edging, railings, rockwork and generous borders help define the historic framework, while grasses, flowering perennials, shrubs and wildlife-friendly planting bring softness and life.

“The restoration has brought dignity, detail and colour back to an important public garden, while keeping the spirit of Burton’s original design.”

Image gallery

Professional photography by Nick Harrison.