Sir Frederick Gibberd was an English architect, town planner and garden designer who worked on many high profile projects, including London central mosque and Liverpool cathedral.

In the 1950s, he was appointed head planner for the new town of Harlow in Essex where he later bought a house on the outskirts. Over the next 30 years he transformed the grounds into a series of garden rooms, which today are known as Gibberd Garden. Each area has a very different feel, ranging from formal gardens, flower-beds and a kitchen garden to the wild woodlands and arboretum.

Gibberd was passionate about sculpture and his garden is dotted with the many sculptures he purchased from contemporary artists of the time, including David Nash, Antanas Brazdys and Jonathan Miller. It’s an incredibly peaceful place to spend a couple of hours. We took advantage of the sunshine, meandering through the grounds and ending up on the shaded walk alongside the river.

The house was sadly cleared of many of Gibberd’s possessions after his death, but has been restored as far as possible to reflect the original style of mid-century design. Much of Gibberd’s original furniture is still in place, alongside his much loved collection of Staffordshire dogs.

Images by Charmaine Beaumont-Rixen