'Menabilly': Daphne du Maurier's real Cornish garden
‘The Lawn at Menabilly’. From ‘The Gardeners’ Chronicle’, June 16, 1886
Introduction: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again”
Many people know of Daphne du Maurier’s book Rebecca – and it's famous opening line above, where the house, Manderley, is almost as important as the rest of the characters, and haunts the unnamed narrator along with her husband's first wife, Rebecca. And many will know that the house is actually based on a real place, Menabilly in Cornwall, owned by the Rashleigh family, a house that du Maurier fell in love with, and subsequently rented for many years [see Note 1].
So you may ask, what’s the garden history angle to this? Well, underlying du Maurier’s story with Menabilly is another: the story of one particular Rashleigh – Jonathan (1820-1905), and the gardens at Menabilly which, in his time there, became known for their beauty and rare, exotic plants, many of which featured regularly in the horticultural press of the day.
Advertising poster for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 film version of ‘Rebecca’
Rebecca is one of my favourite Alfred Hitchcock films, and I already knew a little about du Maurier and Menabilly – but it was only while scouring the Victorian horticultural press [which I spend an inordinate amount of my time doing] for references to Menabilly and the Rashleigh family, that I found many related articles, letters, and images, mostly in the pages of The Gardeners’ Chronicle.
There are also, of course, many modern books, articles and blogs about du Maurier and Menabilly, but the best online resource I found are five in-depth articles by writer Seraphima Bogomolova, titled 'Menabilly, My Love'. Also of interest is Rebecca Cope's article, 'The romantic story of Menabilly – the Real Life Inspiration for Manderley in Daphne du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’', from The Tatler [see References for details on both].
A Chance Find – du Maurier's Menabilly
The story of how du Maurier (1907-1989) first came across the name Menabilly in an old guidebook while holidaying in Cornwall in the mid-1920's, is told in a variety of sources. The guidebook not only described the house, but also the grounds and woods that had been “famous for their beauty” in the latter half of the 19th century – mostly thanks to Jonathan Rashleigh’s efforts and passion for gardening [see Note 2].
Sometime later, du Maurier and her sister discovered the empty house, set in thick trees and with a long overgrown driveway, very similar to how she describes her unnamed narrator’s visit to Manderley in Rebecca. And, as the house had been mostly empty since Jonathan Rashleigh's death, at the time du Maurier first saw it the grounds were, as Bogomolova points out, much as they had been when he had lived and gardened there, although now much overgrown. And Bogomolova quotes Rebecca's narrator in that, amongst the “jungle growth” at Manderley [Menabilly], she could see shrubs that she recognised: “things of culture and grace, [including] hydrangeas whose blue heads had been famous”.
Du Maurier became somewhat obsessed with this seemingly forgotten house, and decided she wanted to live there and restore it. As Cole wrote in the Tatler, it was this that ”inspired the haunting spectre of Manderley in her novel, as it casts its long shadow over the second Mrs de Winter, much as it did du Maurier herself”.
But it was only after the publication of her book in 1938, and the following Hitchcock film version in 1940, that du Maurier got her wish. Having discovered that the house was still owned by the Rashleigh family, the story goes that by 1943 she finally convinced them to allow her to rent it. Finally, she was able to move in with her husband and children – staying there for some 25 years until she reluctantly had to leave when a new Rashleigh heir wanted to take up residence.
Daphne du Maurier with her children Christian, Tessa and Flavia in the grounds of their Cornish home Menabilly in 1945. Alamy
A brief history of Menabilly – and a succession of Rashleighs
Menabilly was first built during the 1600’s for the Rashleighs, a family of wealthy merchants. During the English Civil War the house was badly damaged and looted, but later restored and improved between 1710-1715, with the addition of pleasure grounds.
Philip Rashleigh (1729-1811), who inherited the estate in 1764, continued the development of the pleasure grounds undertaking extensive planting, probably obtained, according to Menabilly's entry in parksandgardens.org, from William Aiton at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as well as local nurseries. Philip also constructed a grotto near the coast and, in the latter part of the century, employed landscape gardener, Thomas Gray, to landscape the grounds. It sounds as if Gray landscaped in the fashion of ‘Capability’ Brown, as his work was criticised by one Rashleigh relative who wrote that Gray had destroyed the formal features of the garden and “entirely divested it of the charm which belonged to it in a more formal condition. It is now nothing more than a house in a tame, flat field…” [see Note 3].
'The Natural History of Cornwall' by William Borlase, 1758
A few years later, writing about the mild Cornish climate in his book, The Natural History of Cornwall in 1758, William Borlase mentions Menabilly – noting that “Every thing that belongs to the flower-garden, and grows in any part of England, will thrive and flourish here [i.e. in Cornwall], as the late accomplished and courteous Philip Rashleigh, Esq., of Menabilly did formerly manifest…”.
'The Grotto' is worth a quick mention here as they were a fashionable feature of many a grand estate at this time. Located about ½ mile from the house, it was built as an octagonal ‘folly’ of rounded quartz boulders embellished with sea shells. The walls inside were lined with shells and crystals, ores and polished stones – Philip being an enthusiastic mineralogist who wrote books on the subject.
‘Menabilly. The Grotto’ from a painting by G. Boney, 1805
The grotto was listed in 1951 (Grade II) but much of the wall coverings were removed sometime earlier, and it is now apparently roofless and in a poor state [see Note 4].
This information isn't particularly up-to-date however, as Menabilly is now a private residence and I haven't found any modern photographs of it. The only image available online seems to be the one shown here.
The following Rashleigh (William 1777-1855), who inherited the estate in 1811, continued Philip's improvements and was responsible for developing its plant collections. And this is when, from a garden history point of view, the story of Menabilly's gardens gets more interesting. Although an MP, William was also interested in natural history becoming a Fellow of both the Linnean Society and the Royal Society. According to Menabilly's entry in The Cornwall and Scilly Historic Environment Record [Note 3 again], he maintained close connections with Kew, exchanging plants and seeds – and even developed a valley garden at Menabilly which was [and still is] known as Hooker’s Grove as a compliment to his friend, Sir Joseph Hooker.
'Menabilly. The Seat of Wm. Rashleigh, Esq., Cornwall’, 1820
William Rashleigh's gardening abilities became well known beyond Cornwall. In 1822, John Claudius Loudon wrote of Menabilly as a “show-place”, and in his Encyclopedia of Gardening described it as commanding “an extensive prospect” over the sea, with a well-managed kitchen garden with grounds "distinguished for their very beautiful grottoes”.
Excerpt from entry for Cornwall in 'An Encyclopedia of Gardening; comprising the Theory and Practice of Horticulture, Floriculture, Arboriculture, and Landscape-Gardening', by John Claudius Loudon, 1822
William was followed by his son, another William (1817-1871). His main contribution to the Menabilly estate in terms of gardening would seem to be the addition of a long ornamental carriage drive [probably the one written of by du Maurier]. He died childless and was therefore succeeded by his brother, Jonathan (1820-1905), the main Rashleigh of interest [for me at least] in terms of the gardens at Menabilly.
Jonathan Rashleigh 1820-1905
Jonathan Rashleigh was a local MP between 1812-1817 and, after his first marriage in 1843, lived as a gentleman of leisure in London dedicating most of his leisure time to numismatics – the study of currency [see Note 5]. He was also, briefly, a first-class cricketer in the early 1840’s [and yet despite this, I've found no image of him]. His first wife died in 1852 leaving him with 5 children, and in 1869 he remarried, moved to Devon, and had 4 more children. After the death of his brother William in 1871, Jonathan and his large family moved to Menabilly.
In her articles, Bogomolova describes Rashleigh as "an old school landowner, a gardener, and a collector", which is very apt for such a typical Victorian estate/garden-owner. And, like so many others, once established at Menabilly, Rashleigh turned his attention to botany and horticulture, and spent much of his time developing the estate gardens.
Extract from 'The Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society', Vol. 11, 1889 recording Rashleigh's election as a 'Fellow'
Rashleigh is recorded as actively swapping seeds and plants with his gardening neighbours, including the Tremaynes at Heligan. He was elected a Fellow of the RHS in March 1889 and, from their Journal, it appears he participated in both their Scientific and Floral Committees from time to time.
The Menabilly estate [map below] was, by 1873, the largest private estate in Cornwall at 30,156 acres [see Note 6]. Rashleigh lived at Menabilly until his death in 1905.
Jonathan Rashleigh's Menabilly
A contemporary report [The Gardeners’ Chronicle, April 11, 1903] describes Menabilly as about 1½ miles from the picturesque harbour at Fowey: "across the long lawn in front of the house can be seen the promontory of Gribben Head which juts out into the English Channel" [see map below]. It also describes the long carriage drive down to the house, skirting a narrow valley and passing "fine trees and clumps of bamboo", while the house itself was covered with creepers. In the spring, the fringes of the large lawn featured thousands of daffodils.
OS Map showing the Menabilly Estate published 1890 (surveyed 1878-1881)
During his life at Menabilly, Rashleigh greatly improved and extended the grounds of the estate, planted many new and rare trees including pine, cedar, eucalyptus and beech, and introduced bamboo, rhododendrons and hydrangeas – which the Cornish Guardian, writing in February 1905 [as quoted by Bogomolova in her articles], described as having a “beauty of which is hardly met outside Kew”.
However, the most detailed records of what the gardens at Menabilly were like by the time Jonathan Rashleigh had been there for a few years, are from the horticultural press of the day. Many articles discuss specific plants or shrubs, but one article published in The Garden in December 1899, written by F.W. Meyer [a landscape gardener employed by Veitch & Son in Exeter], gives a good general overview.
'Royal Fern and Gunnera at Menabilly'. From Meyer's article in 'The Garden', December 16, 1899
Meyer, writing of the number of excellent gardens benefitting from the mild Cornish climate containing “treasures in the way of plants...”, points out that, even amongst such favoured gardens, those like Menabilly were “very rare” – and that “many of the plants cultivated there cannot be seen anywhere else; at least, not in the same perfection”. “Rare shrubs of all kinds” form an important feature “among the treasures of Menabilly”. Meyer also writes of Rashleigh’s good taste and “his love for beautiful plants” – and how he preferred a natural approach to his plant arrangements, avoiding any “stiff formality”.
Meyer usefully also provides a seasonal overview of Menabilly's gardens: in the spring, the gardens were full of daffodils and other bulbous plants; summer provided “flowers and flowering shrubs of every description”, while in the autumn thousands of the famed hydrangeas with “handsome trusses… in a deeper shade of blue” covered the grounds. Even in winter, a great variety of rare evergreens could be seen – “Dracaenas, Palms, coniferae… and bamboos…which include every variety that is known to succeed in Great Britain”.
Away from the horticultural press, an article in The Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall for 1897 [see Note 7], discusses the successful acclimatisation of "exotics" in Cornish gardens such as Penjerrick and Heligan, and includes an entry on Menabilly.
It describes Menabilly as having been “blessed with an owner who knows exactly what the grounds are capable of”, and who was happy to spend in stocking them. Menabilly was, the author wrote, "the subject of admiration among lovers of gardening…” – its conifers “drawn from many lands... [while] its sweeps of Hydrangeas are in themselves a feature of the estate…”.
Menabilly in the Horticultural Press – and Jonathan Rashleigh's Head Gardener
Like many of his contemporaries, Rashleigh corresponded with the horticultural press on a regular basis – as did his long-standing Head Gardener, William Bennett, and articles appeared regularly in The Gardeners' Chronicle, The Garden and, occasionally, in William Robinson's lavish, but short-lived publication, Flora and Sylva. Both men mostly wrote about trees and shrubs – and, in particular, the species which thrived in Cornwall’s mild climate. Indeed, Rashleigh was often listed in The Gardeners’ Chronicle as one of their “correspondents and contributors” under the heading Arboretum, along with such horticultural luminaries as W.J. Bean of Kew.
Excerpt from the listing of 'Past Kewites' from 'The Journal of the Kew Guild', 1893
When writing about Victorian and Edwardian gardens, I'm always looking for information relating to the gardeners, although it's often extremely limited, and images of them non-existent. However, in Menabilly's case, Kew's house journal for 1893 [Journal of the Kew Guild, and subsequent volumes] records that Bennett trained as a gardener at Kew before leaving in May 1880 to take up the position of Head Gardener [excerpt shown here].
Images of him [although poor quality engravings from photographs] accompany 2 articles in The Gardeners Chronicle. The first, from January 1891, features the plant Athrotaxis laxifolia – The Gardeners’ Chronicle highlighting the fact that, as far as they knew, Menabilly's was the finest specimen of the shrub in cultivation in the country. The second image, published in June 1892, features Eucalyptus gunni, the Swamp Gum, from Australia. Rashleigh sent in the photograph, together with some of its ripe fruit and seeds, which again features Bennett – this time however, the article names him: “The height of Mr. Rashleigh’s tree may be estimated by the height of the gardener, Mr. W.H. Bennett, standing at its base”.
'Athrotaxis laxifolia growing at Menabilly'. From 'The Gardeners’ Chronicle', January 31, 1891 and, right, 'Eucalyptus Gunni: 50 Feet in Height (in the Gardens of J. Rashleigh Esq, Menabilly, Par, Cornwall)'. From 'The Gardeners’ Chronicle', June 18, 1892
Meyer's article in The Garden in December 1899, also mentions Bennett – in that the kitchen and flower gardens, together with the pleasure grounds, “are under the care of Mr. Bennett, who is well acquainted with all the plants and their history”.
Notable Features and Plants at Menabilly
There are a few features and plants in the gardens at Menabilly mentioned often in the horticultural press and elsewhere: the famed masses of blue hydrangea; the palm walk; and species of cordylines, bamboos, palms and rhododendrons.
Hydrangeas: One of Menabilly's most notable attractions was without doubt the hydrangeas. However, the only image I've found of them from Rashleigh's time accompanies Meyer's article, where he describes the “abundance of Hydrangeas” – the photograph below showing H. Hortensia [in its dark blue form] growing on a bank. A few years earlier, The Garden [September 1890], also noted Menabilly's "tens of thousands” of hydrangeas, which fringed the top of a roadside hedge, grew throughout the woods, and even lined walks down to the many little coves by the sea.
'Hydrangeas at Menabilly'. From Meyer's article in 'The Garden', December 16, 1899
'Hydrangea Hortensia as a pot plant'. From 'The Garden', August 15, 1896 [This was grown almost solely as a greenhouse plant, except from areas with a mild climate such as Cornwall.]
In June 1886, The Gardeners’ Chronicle also described the hydrangeas, which it said "surprised and delighted" visitors and flourished everywhere. Single plants, some of which have “hundreds of flowers on them of all hues from pink to blue, but the colour most prevalent throughout the woods is a deep blue” – Hydrangea hortensis.
In October 1902, we learn from an article in The Gardeners’ Chronicle by William Bennett, that during his “years of experience in the gardens of Menabilly”, he had reared many thousands of hydrangeas of the more common varieties, but that they had also, "year after year”, raised hundreds of plants from cuttings taken from “the bluest of the Hydrangeas growing in the woods and gardens”.
The Palm Walk or Dracena Avenue: This walk, at some 150 yards long, overlooked the sea and was lined with tall plants and trees, including the striking Cordyline [or Dracaena] indivisa, as shown in the photograph below from June 1886. This plant was, as The Garden pointed out a little later in 1893, not very well known in gardens, although it was familiar to horticulturists.
'The Dracena Avenue at Menabilly'. From 'The Gardeners’ Chronicle', June 26, 1886
An article in The Garden [in 1890] provides a little more detail, describing “Dracaena australis, bearing their great hanks of bloom on one side, and Palms (Chamaerops excelsa or Fortunei) on the other. While "groups of Yucca, Phormium tenax, bamboos, and other tall growing plants and shrubs fill up the background”, giving the whole “a most strikingly tropical appearance”. [To see an image of this walk at a more mature stage, search 'The Palm Walk at Menabilly' on google.]
The palm walk was also described by the Cornish Guardian [again quoted in Bogomolova's articles] in 1920, some years after Rashleigh's death: “The grounds contain rare specimens of shrubs and trees from the ends of the earth, the palm walk… being one of the many beauties of the place”. A better quality photograph of one of the cordylines in the walk featured in an 1891 article [below].
'Cordyline indivisa in the Gardens of J. Rashleigh, Esq., Menabilly'. From 'The Gardeners’ Chronicle', March 14, 1891
'Cordyline (Dracaena) indivisa (undivided Club Palm)'. From 'Beautiful Leaved Plants' by E.J. Lowe, 1866
The Garden [February 1891] was of the opinion that Menabilly had one of the finest specimens of Cordyline indivisa in the country, while noting that, at Kew, they were cultivated in their “temperate and other cool houses” as they were susceptible to frost. This native from New Zealand, introduced in 1852, being more generally grown as a ‘stove’ or greenhouse plant.
F.W. Burbidge [Curator of the botanical gardens of Trinity College, Dublin at Glasnevin], also wrote in praise of C. indivisa growing in the open at Menabilly, describing them [The Garden, December 1893] as “very remarkable indeed”, with an upper green surface, finely striped with red veins, as can be seen here.
Bamboos
Meyer's article in The Garden [December 1899] mentioned earlier, also describes Rashleigh's interest in bamboos. They were, he wrote, everywhere, and there was even a specific “bamboo garden” – the pride of its owner according to Meyer, with each plant labelled with an “inconspicuous, but indestructible tablet of zinc”. And an earlier article, [The Gardeners’ Chronicle, June 1896] featured Arundinaria nobilis at Menabilly. Introduced there in 1836, probably from China, the original plant died but the plants featured in the photograph below were raised from its seeds.
'Group of Bamboos, etc., in the Gardens of J. Rashleigh, esq., Menabilly'. From 'The Gardeners Chronicle', June 6, 1896
Rashleigh was even considered somewhat of an amateur expert on bamboos. The writer of one of the most notable books about bamboos of the time, A.B. Freeman-Mitford, acknowledged contributions and assistance from Kew, as well as “some of the chief growers of bamboos in this country”, including Rashleigh. Mitford's book, The Bamboo Garden, published in 1896 is mentioned in several bamboo-related articles in the horticultural press – and in the book, Mitford mentions Rashleigh with regard to the origins of the species, Arundinaria Nobilis. [A good quality photography of this bamboo featured in The Gardeners' Chronicle a few years later – below.]
'Arundinaria Nobilis, Hardy Bamboo, in Mr. Rashleigh’s Garden at Menabilly, Cornwall'. From 'The Gardeners’ Chronicle', April 11, 1903
Mitford thought it had originally been imported from China and, in support of his theory, quotes from a letter from Rashleigh (who had been growing this bamboo for over 50 years), who wrote: “Your suggestion that my Bamboo may have come from North-Western China has revived my recollection, that about 1836-38 my father’s friend, Mr Henry Alexander [a director of the East India Company], procured for him from China a large parcel of seeds, which came in charming little china pots or vases…”, and that bamboos growing in a part of the gardens at Menabilly, still called the ‘Chinese garden, came from this source.
Pinus and other plants
Other plants of note growing at Menabilly included two rare pines Pinus Montezumae and P. oocarpa, both from Mexico. The Garden [October 1893] thought they “are two of the most interesting objects at Menabilly, full as that garden is of interesting trees and plants”.
In March 1899, The Gardeners’ Chronicle published another article about P. Montezumae, after Rashleigh sent in specimens of the foliage. This is of interest as it quotes directly from Rashleigh who wrote that he had about 20 of these trees, grown from seed sent by the British Consul in Mexico, although the cones produced very few fertile seeds. He also mentions a variety – P. Montezumae Lindleyana, again obtained from the consul, about which he had several conversations with the “late Dr. Lindley”, after whom it was named. Rashleigh wrote [and I do so love how touchy these Victorian gardeners could be – but were not afraid to say so, even in print!]: “I remember my indignation at his refusal to believe that I had succeeded in rearing a cutting of P. Montezumae into a living plant. He said it was impossible. But I did succeed in doing this…”. Interestingly, in an article a few years earlier [December, 1896], The Gardeners’ Chronicle mentioned that Rashleigh gave a specimen of P. montezumae to Mr. Tremayne of Heligan, which he grew from the seed of his own specimens.
With its rich emerald-green foliage and bushy round head, Pinus insignis, the Monterey Pine, introduced in 1833 by plant-hunter David Douglas, was another tree that did well in Menabilly's mild climate and proximity to the sea. The Gardeners’ Chronicle published an article about this tree a couple of years earlier, accompanied by a good quality photograph [see Note 8].
'Pinus insignis in the Gardens of J. Rashleigh, Esq., Menabilly'. From 'The Gardeners’ Chronicle', March 14, 1891
Having visited many gardens in Cornwall, including Heligan, and seeing their wonderful tree ferns, I was interested to see the photograph below [The Gardeners’ Chronicle, March 1897] of those growing at Menabilly. It was taken by Rashleigh himself. The article describes the ferns growing in a sheltered spot in Menabilly’s pleasure grounds and the trunks were, Rashleigh informed them, daily syringed with water in dry weather to keep them in good condition.
'Tree Ferns at Menabilly'. From 'The Gardeners’ Chronicle', March 27, 1897
Another plant noted for its fine specimens at Menabilly, Cornus capitata, or the Evergreen Himalayan Dogwood, was mentioned in The Garden [February 1893]. Introduced from northern India and China in 1825, this beautiful tree with large white flower bracts, tinged with pink or rose, was only considered hardy in Devon and Cornwall. [Today's modern cultivars are hardier, although still require a sheltered position.]
'Cornus capitata'. From 'Curtis’s Botanical Magazine', t.4641, 1852 under its earlier name of 'Benthamia fragifera' and, right, 'Cornus Capitata (Benthamia Fragifera) in Flower in Mr. Jonathan Rashleigh’s Garden at Menabilly, Cornwall'. From 'The Garden', August 22, 1903
Plants named for Rashleigh
I’ve found only two mentions of plants named for Rashleigh. There's Cordyline Rashleighana [probably named for Jonathan] included in the list of ‘Plants Growing Out-of-Doors at Menabilly’ published in The Gardeners’ Chronicle, June 1886. This plant, described as "a cross between C. australis and C. Banksii", seems to no longer exist. The other, Rhododendron campylocarpum 'Jonathan Rashleigh', appeared in an article in The Gardeners’ Chronicle [May 27, 1911] written by Kew's W. Watson, a few years after Rashleigh’s death.
'Rhododendron campylocarpum (the curved fruit Rhododendron)', t.4968. From 'Curtis’s Botanical Magazine', February 1st, 1857
In the wild, R. campylocarpum has either yellow or white flowers – and Rashleigh had a yellow form growing at Menabilly from which he gifted seeds to Kew. A white ‘variety’ arose from these seeds, and Watson wrote that Kew gave this the name ‘Jonathan Rashleigh’. Again, it seems to no longer exist, and I’ve found no further information on either plant. The image shown here depicts the species plant.
Menabilly plants in Curtis's Botanical Magazine
One of the most exciting things about having access to Curtis's Botanical Magazine online is that specimens of plants from the gardens I write about are sometimes featured, especially when it's a rare or exotic one that Kew had difficulty raising.
In Menabilly's case, I've found two – Rhaphithamnus cyanocarpus [shown left below], a pretty evergreen shrub from Chile. It featured in The Gardeners’ Chronicle in October 1885, with an image published in Curtis’s that December. As Curtis’s acknowledged, they were indebted to Rashleigh “for a specimen in full flower of this fine plant, which he grows in the open air, and which is here figured…”, and which he described as 11ft high and 7ft in diameter.
A few years later, in 1897, Curtis’s introduced their readers to Ligustrum coriaceum [shown right], a type of privet, only introduced into England by Robert Fortune c.1860, who probably obtained it from Japan. Kew's one and only specimen failed to thrive; however, in Cornwall it was quite hardy and Curtis’s therefore used a specimen sent by Rashleigh in 1889. Kew sensibly kept it in their Temperate House, where it flowered in 1896 and was subsequently illustrated by their famed botanical illustrator, Walter Fitch.
'Rhaphithamnus cyanocarpus', t.6849. From 'Curtis’s Botanical Magazine', December 1st, 1885 and, right, 'Ligustrum Coriaceum', t.7519 by Walter Hood Fitch. From 'Curtis’s Botanical Magazine', February 1st, 1897
Menabillys' mild climate
With the huge influx of new exciting (and often expensive) plants into the country during the 19th and early 20th centuries [see Note 9 ], their hardiness in various parts of the UK understandably exercised gardeners and the horticultural press. And there are many articles and letters, from both experts and readers, about the hardiness of such plants, shrubs and trees.
List of Plants Growing Out-of-Doors at Menabilly from 'The Gardeners’ Chronicle', June 16, 1886
One such article, published in The Gardeners’ Chronicle, describing Menabilly's mild climate and the many semi-tropical plants thriving in the open air, provides us with a list of them, including some “rarer plants which have been cultivated for some years without protection...”.
And on the subject of the mild climate, one of the occasional letters in the Victorian horticultural press written from the plants’ point of view [I so love these!], relates to Menabilly. Published in The Gardeners’ Chronicle in January 1879, during Jonathan Rashleigh’s tenure, and titled ‘The Eucalyptus and the Frost’, it was authored by “the Eucalypti of Menabilly” – as shown here [perhaps written by Rashleigh or Bennett?].
‘The Eucalyptus and the Frost’. From ‘The Gardeners Chronicle’, January 4, 1879
Incidentally, and an example of the breadth of Rashleigh's planting activities at Menabilly, The Gardeners’ Chronicle [December 1901], reported that he had planted about an acre with 37 different varieties of Eucalyptus.
Another rare conifer, Keteleeria fortunei, named for botanist Robert Fortune and discovered by him in China in 1844 was grown at Menabilly, The Gardeners' Chronicle pointing out in 1897 that there were only 2 known specimens in the country at the time, one at Menabilly and the other at Kew. Both were probably grown from seeds gathered by Fortune.
Daphne du Maurier and family at their Cornish home: here on the steps with her children, 1945. Alamy
Another source of information regarding plants grown at Menabilly comes from reports of one of the many conferences held by the RHS.
The RHS Conifer Conference of 1891
In October 1891, the RHS held a Conifer Conference, to discuss all aspects of coniferae in the UK – and in their Report of the Conifer Conference published a year later, it's evident they were delighted with the "profusion of specimens" sent in from both gardeners and commercial nurseries: "...such a collection of coniferous plants... [having] never before been collected in any one place". Fortunately, their Journal records details of the exhibitors, and includes a report by Bennett, who sent a variety of pinus, picea and abies – as detailed below.
List of examples sent to the RHS Conifer Conference by W. Bennett of Menabilly. From 'A Report of the Conifer Conference', the ‘Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society’. ‘Statistics of Conifers in the British Islands’, 1892
End of the Rashleigh era
Rashleigh died at Menabilly on 12th April, 1905 at the age of 85 and his obituary in The Gardeners’ Chronicle, while mentioning that he was one of their oldest and most valued contributors, also described him as “an enthusiast in gardening matters and the possessor of one of the most interesting gardens in [Cornwall]”. He specialised in conifers, bamboos and eucalypti – Menabilly's favourable climate suiting many particularly tender species, in which his garden was “specially rich” and which “he collected with great pains and judgment”.
After Rashleigh’s death, his grandson inherited the estate as both his parents had died when he was young. However, having lived with a relative for many years, he had no connection to Menabilly and the first thing he did was to sell many of the plants his grandfather had so lovingly planted and grown there. The gardens at Menabilly, so lauded in the horticultural press for some years, changed forever.
The Cornish Guardian [again quoted in Bogomolova's articles] was on hand in June 1905 to witness “a most unusual sight on the Town Quay...” – an auction of a large collection of plants from Menabilly. "The quay presented the appearance of one huge magnificent flower bed, with begonias, lobelias, variegated geraniums, and a host of other plants, the names of which are only known to those who study horticulture as a hobby or profession”. The disposal of the plants was, according to the paper, “a decision of the new master of Menabilly to turf down the majority of the beds around the house, and to reduce the staff of gardeners and labourers on the estate. The plants were in good condition and realised unusually high prices”.
As to the house, with its 60 or so rooms, it was left empty and shut up, except for a short period during the 1st world war when it was let. For many years, the only people living on the estate grounds were the head gardener, John Tarr, and his family, who also acted as caretakers for the house. I've found no information on what happened to William Bennett after Rashleigh's death.
However, after languishing unloved for such a long time, I'm glad Menabilly was loved again – in this case by Daphne du Maurier, and that it contributed so much to her wonderful writing. But Menabilly was never hers.
Daphne du Maurier and family at their Cornish home: here in the garden with her children, 1945. Alamy
And eventually she had no choice but to leave [in 1969], having already extended the lease several times. She later wrote: "There is a plant, the mandrake, which bleeds and shrieks when it is pulled up, and that is how I felt on leaving Menabilly". Du Maurier and her family moved to another house, just a few miles away, but it's said that her heart always belonged to Menabilly.
In its day, Menabilly was as famous as Heligan and Penjerrick – names we are familiar with today. However, it's now an extremely private place, still owned by the Rashleigh family I believe, and I've found no modern photographs of it or details of whether the gardens have been restored to their former glory.
Notes:
1. According to many writers, the physical description of Manderley is actually a combination of Menabilly, and Milton Hall near Peterborough which du Maurier visited as a child
2. Quote from the guidebook from Bogomolova's article. I've been unable to find any other detail relating to this old book, but it's quoted by numerous writers
3. From the entry for Menabilly from the Cornwall and Scilly Historic Environment Record, Cornwall Council, 25 May, 2018 (foweysfuture.co.uk)
4. From the International Grotto Directory (www.grotto.directory) and Official Entry for the Grotto which is a Listed Building
5. Numismatics – the study of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects
6. From Return of Owners of the Land 1873, the first comprehensive picture of land ownership and distribution in the UK since the Doomsday Book of 1086
7. A paper titled 'Acclimatisation of Exotics in Cornwall: the Falmouth-Truro District' by Fred. Hamilton Davey, published in The Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, vol.13, Part III,1897. Jonathan Rashleigh is noted in the Journal as having been their President between 1875-1877
8. One modern writer, Luke Keogh estimates that in just 15 years William Hooker, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (from 1841-1865), imported more plants into Britain than in the entire previous century. Article The Wardian Case: How a Simple Box Moved the Plant Kingdom, Luke Keogh from Arnoldia, 2017
9. As I have written about before, images published in the horticultural press during this period were often of varying quality due to the fact that many were still engravings from photographs – where their quality was dependent on the skill of a particular engraver, whereas those of much better quality were produced by the more modern photo-mechanical process
References:
Seraphima Bogomolova, series of online articles titled 'Menabilly, My Love' published October 2021: Menabilly, My Love — Part One: Into the Woods | by Seraphima Bogomolova | Books, Screenplays, and Movies | Medium
Rebecca Cope, online article 'The romantic story of Menabilly – the real life inspiration for Manderley in Daphne du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’' from The Tatler, 20 October, 2020
Cornwall’s archives contain a small selection of Jonathan Rashleigh’s correspondence regarding plants, including letters with Kew. Unfortunately, these are not available online
Photographs of du Maurier at Menabilly licensed from Alamy
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