Ravensworth, pleasure grounds

The pleasure grounds were developed after the landscaped park, probably in association with improvements to the castle in the early 19th century. Located north of the castle, linking the castle to the walled garden, and flowed north and west from the turning circle at the north entrance to the castle. By 1861 a pair of ponds had been created in an area planted with trees and interesected by numerous walks. The walks were described in the Gardeners Magazine of 1834 as being 'bordered with the finer kind of shrubs'. The Journal of Horticulture & Cottage Gardener in 1877 described the spectacular rhododendrons some 20 feet in diameter. Near the lake yew trees were trimmed into a 'sugar loaf' shape and reached 20 feet high. There are still two ponds (HER 12020) within the woodland and fenced enclosures for pheasants. Some remanants of the pleasure grounds are still evident, such as two stone gate piers on a track between the ponds (may relate to the 18th century garden), and a number of specimen trees. There is a large cedar of Lebanon, a fine hornbeam next to the east fish pond and another cedar of Lebanon on the island of the west fish pond. Possible remains of a footbridge to the island may be present beneath vegetation. Parts of the pleasure grounds were subsequently planted with conifers.