Outside the Manor

Outside the Manor. The Formal Garden. , "We walked in the garden for about an hour; then we went to dinner and I ate boiled beef." , , William Byrd at Fairfield, May 4, 1709 , , Extending 82 feet to your right and left, and stretching perhaps 300 feet towards the creek is the location of an 18th-century formal garden. Archaeology has revealed that the substantial enclosing fence was built with 10 inch square wooden posts set in roughly 4 foot square holes on 10 foot centers. The fenceposts were connected with horizontal rails and then covered with vertical pales to create a substantial and solid barrier. A central gate provided access to the garden from the manor house. While the garden provided growing space for fruit, herbs, and vegetables, it also functioned as a formal recreation space, as suggested by an 18th-century marble urn containing four dolphin head figures that is attributed to Fairfield. Decorative urns were sometimes placed on entrance posts or special pedestals within the garden. , (captions) , Left: Aerial view of the project area looking south showing the garden location. , , Top: 18th-century Garden Urn attributed to Fairfield.