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All the United Kingdom England Dungeness Derek Jarman's Garden

Derek Jarman's Garden

An avant-garde artist is survived by his seaside garden.

Dungeness, England

Added By
Duncan Chappell
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More found object art.   duncanchappell
More found object art.   duncanchappell
Wildflowers.   duncanchappell
Another of the found item installations.   duncanchappell
Precariously balanced stones.   duncanchappell
Some of the artfully placed stones.   duncanchappell
All of the vegetation is local to the area.   duncanchappell
Well manicured gravel work is a hallmark of the garden.   duncanchappell
Derek Jarman’s Garden   duncanchappell
IFJ   isabelformicajakob / Atlas Obscura User
IFJ   isabelformicajakob / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Avant-garde artist Derek Jarman once said, "'Paradise haunts gardens, and some gardens are paradises. Mine is one of them. Others are like bad children, spoilt by their parents, over-watered and covered with noxious chemicals."

It is with this ethos that he built the sparse desert garden surrounding Prospect Cottage, his final home. The landscape consists of a number of varieties of hardy local plants accented by driftwood and found objects from the nearby beach. The garden surrounding the small slat-board cottage also features a number of standing stone sculptures that the artist installed. Jarman passed away in 1994, but for many years the garden was maintained by his former partner. The garden is on private property and not open to the public, but fans of Jarman's work or just beautiful landscaping are welcome to view the garden from the road.

In January 2020, the U.K.'s Art Fund launched a campaign to save Prospect Cottage from being sold and dismantled. They raised £3.5 million to secure the property, with a goal of turning it into a center for public creativity. If they are successful, the team behind the project hopes restore the house and gardens, launch a residency program for artists, academics, and activists, and open the cottage up to public visits.

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Gardens Eccentric Homes Horticulture Art Film Homes Plants

Know Before You Go

The cottage is on the single track Lydd road from Dungeness and visible from the miniature railway. It’s a ten-minute walk along the shingle beach to the railway station.

Community Contributors

Added By

duncanchappell

Edited By

Martin, aribrown, isabelformicajakob, elvislovesmandy

  • Martin
  • aribrown
  • isabelformicajakob
  • elvislovesmandy

Published

September 6, 2012

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Sources
  • http://www.coolplaces.co.uk/places/uk/england/east-sussex/rye/1370-derek-jarmans-garden
  • http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/derek_jarman_garden_prospect_cottage_dungeness
  • https://www.theartnewspaper.com/blog/the-final-push-art-fund-campaign-to-save-derek-jarman-s-cottage-is-almost-over-the-line
  • https://www.theartnewspaper.com/blog/derek-jarman-s-cottage-in-dungeness-is-saved-after-art-fund-hits-gbp3-5m-target
Derek Jarman's Garden
Dungeness Road
Dungeness, England, TN29 9NE
United Kingdom
50.922563, 0.976216
Get Directions

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Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

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England

United Kingdom

Places 2,219
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