Pulhamite Explained

Pulhamite was a patented anthropic rock material invented by James Pulham (1820–1898) of the firm James Pulham and Son of Broxbourne in Hertfordshire. It was widely used for rock gardens and grottos.

Overview

Pulhamite, which usually looked like gritty sandstone, was used to join natural rocks together or crafted to simulate natural stone features. It was so realistic that it fooled some geologists of the era.^[1] The recipe went to the grave with the inventor.^[2] Modern analysis of surviving original Pulhamite have shown it to be a blend of sand, Portland cement and clinker sculpted over a core of rubble and crushed bricks.^[3] It can be viewed in these places:

• Dane Park, Margate^[4]
• Neo-Norman gatehouse and folly at Benington Lordship in Hertfordshire
• Rockery, Burslem Park
• Cascade and Rock Garden, Ramsgate,^[5]
• Courtstairs Chine, Ramsgate,^[6]
• Garden Folly, Sydenham Hill Wood, Sydenham, London.
• Grottoes at Dewstow Gardens, South Wales
• Dunorlan Park, Tunbridge Wells^[7]
• Felixstowe Spa and Winter Garden, Suffolk
• Fernery and waterfall, Bromley Palace Park, Bromley^{[8] [9]}
• Grotto, Wotton House, Surrey
  • Water course and pump tower, The Dell, Englefield Green Henley Hall, Shropshire
• Lake and rockery, Milton Mount Gardens, Crawley^{[10] [11]}
• Leonardslee, rockery in Grade I listed gardenn at Lower Beeding, near Horsham, West Sussex, England.^[12]
• Newstead Abbey fernery, Nottinghamshire^[13]
• Rock Cliff, Bawdsey Manor, Suffolk^[14]
• Water Garden, Highnam Court, Gloucester^[15]
• Zig-zag Path, Lower Leas Coastal Park, Folkestone^[16]
• Rosshall Park, Glasgow
• Gardens at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire^[17]
• Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire
• Fernery at Danesbury Park, Hertfordshire.
• Waterfall at Battersea Park, London.
• Madresfield Court and gardens, Worcestershire
• Gardens at Coombe Wood, Croydon.
• Colney Hall near Norwich
• Cliffs at North Shore, Blackpool^[18]
• Former Terraced Gardens, Rivington, Lancashire.^[19]

See also

• Cast stone
• Folly

External links

• The Pulham Legacy
• Durability Guaranteed – Pulhamite Rockwork pdf file on the English Heritage website.
• The Story of Pulhamite Rockwork
• Pulham at Waddesdon Manor video

Notes and References

1. Book: Gardens and Landscapes in Historic Building Conservation. 460. Marion Harney. John Wiley & Sons. 2014. 978-1118508138.
2. Web site: The Pulham Legacy . 2008-03-19 . 2008-03-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080329135704/http://www.pulham.org.uk/ . live .
3. Book: The Oxford Dictionary of Architecture. 606. James Stevens Curl and Susan Wilson. Oxford University Press. 2015. 978-0199674985.
4. [Margate]
5. Web site: Rock Gardens and Cascade, Ramsgate . www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk . 21 February 2014.
6. Web site: Courtstairs Chine, Ramsgate . Parks & Gardens . 27 August 2021 . en.
7. Web site: History of Dunorlan Park . 2013 . tunbridgewellsmuseum.info . 6 January 2014 . dead . https://archive.today/20140107054200/http://www.tunbridgewellsmuseum.info/default.aspx?page=1787&StyleType=larger&StyleClass=FontSize . 7 January 2014 .
8. Web site: Pulhamite Fernery, Bromley Palace Park, Bromley. britishlistedbuildings.co.uk . 21 February 2014.
9. Web site: Pulhamite Waterfall in Bromley Palace Park, Bromley . www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk . 21 February 2014.
10. Web site: Pulhamite Rock Islet in Lake at Milton Mount Gardens (Former Worth Park), Crawley . britishlistedbuildings.co.uk . 21 February 2014.
11. Web site: Pulhamite Rockery at Milton Mount Gardens (Former Worth Park Gardens), Crawley . britishlistedbuildings.co.uk . 21 February 2014.
12. Slade . Naomi . Starting a colourful new chapter . The Garden . July 2022 . 147 . 4 . 100–106.
13. Web site: About Newstead Abbey . www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk . 2012 . 3 January 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140104011050/http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/article/22218/About-Us . 4 January 2014 . dead .
14. Web site: Bawdsey Manor Pulhamite Cliff Structures, Bawdsey . britishlistedbuildings.co.uk . 21 February 2014.
15. Web site: Pulhamite Water Garden . britishlistedbuildings.co.uk . 5 May 2014.
16. Web site: Pulhamite Caves, Folkestone . britishlistedbuildings.co.uk . 21 February 2014.
17. News: Explore the gardens - Waddesdon Manor. Waddesdon Manor. 2017-05-04. en-GB.
18. https://democracy.blackpool.gov.uk/documents/s49453/Appendix%20A%20Cabin%20Lift.pdf
19. Web site: Harris . John . 1903 – Rivington, Lever Park, Lancashire Pulham's Rivington Ravine… and more! . The Pulham Legacy . 13 April 2021 . 11 November 2021.