The Moot Gardens: Eight acres of Downton's history

Tucked in the heart of the village, the Moot is one of Downton's best-kept treasures — and it has been shaped by remarkable hands for nearly a thousand years. The mound at its centre began life as the site of a Norman castle, part of the wave of motte-and-bailey fortifications raised across the country after the Conquest to hold newly won territory. Long after its military purpose faded, the site's dramatic earthworks remained, waiting for a new chapter.

That chapter came in 1725, when the owners of Moot House embraced the fashion of the age for landscaped "pleasure gardens." They transformed the old castle site with a stone bridge, a temple, a loggia and an amphitheatre — turning a piece of medieval defence into a place of leisure and beauty for the village to enjoy.

The gardens remained part of Moot House until 1970, when the two were separated and the Moot began a long period of decline. It was rescued in 1988, when a charitable trust of local villagers took on the responsibility of caring for its eight acres — and has done so ever since, entirely without public funding.

* Maintaining the gardens costs the Trust around £10,000 a year. The Friends of the Moot lead our fundraising efforts throughout the year, with events including a Christmas tree sale, an Easter egg hunt and more — all to keep this historic space open and thriving for everyone in Downton to enjoy.

Volunteer at The Moot

Each Thursday, a group of volunteers meets at the Moot to keep the gardens safe, clean and tidy. Strimming and grass cutting take up much of the time in summer, but the team also works on longer-term projects to improve the gardens for the next generation.

Regular users of the Moot will have noticed that the crumbling plaster on the front of the old loggia wall has been removed and a new render applied to protect the brickwork for the future. The intention is for the Moot to partner with Trafalgar School to produce an impressive mural there. Sadly, the wall was vandalised within hours of the plasterer finishing his work. If you know who was responsible, please do call the police — it is most dispiriting for those who gave up their time to do the work.

The next big project is to preserve the many beautiful walls around the Moot, some of which have deteriorated over time. Volunteers have begun removing ivy in preparation for a team of builders to repoint the walls and build new buttresses where needed over the coming months.

Occasionally a bonfire is necessary to dispose of waste, and the team knows that these can be an inconvenience for neighbours. They therefore burn “only when absolutely necessary and when winds are low”.

If you'd like to volunteer on Thursdays, or to report any damage or vandalism, please contact the team at downtonmoot@gmail.com.

If you walk your dog in the Moot, or simply enjoy time among its gardens, please consider supporting its upkeep with a donation:

totalgiving.co.uk/charity/the-downton-moot-preservation-trust-limited