Rediscovering traditional technologies
The lost gardens of Heligan
At the start of the twentieth century Heligan Manor was almost completely self-sufficient, it had a number of farms, quarries, woods, a brickworks, a flour mill, a sawmill, a brewery, and productive orchards and kitchen gardens. The First World War brought this way of life to an end. For a hundred years the gardens were left unmodernised. Now the technologies which made the old way of life sustainable are being rediscovered.
Charcoal burning
Wood turns to charcoal when it burns in a limited supply of air. A fire ignited in the centre of a heap of wood starts the process which drives off steam with other volatile chemicals to leave carbon. The process takes days, or even weeks and the temperature gradually rises to 400 - 600 degrees Celsius. It is crucial not to let in too much air which would allow the whole heap to go up in flames and end up as a pile of ashes.
There is a plentiful supply of wood in the gardens at Heligan. Traditionally the heap of split logs was covered with turfs, straw and bracken to retain the heat and keep out the air. Modern kilns are built of steel and can be reused but the process is essentially the same as it ever was.
Warmth from fermenting horse dung
The gardens have restored the only working pineapple pit in Britain that is heated by the traditional means based on fermenting manure.
Work on the restoration started in 1992 leading up to the first crop in October 1997.
Careful control of the temperature and moisture levels under the glass frames is essential. In cold spells the gardners have to carry out the unpleasant task of adding fresh horse manure
Submitted by: Andrew Hunt, 27 April 2003
