Henrietta Lockhart, Curator and Claire Young, Collections and Archives Volunteer

Winterbourne has a collection of botanical prints by the renowned botanical illustrator James Sowerby.  Sowerby’s engravings were created for a pioneering work, English Botany, begun in 1790, which contained over 2,500 illustrations.  Volunteer Claire Young has selected a range of prints for the autumn and winter seasons, which are now on display in our Herbarium exhibition on the first floor.  Here are just of few of them.

Yew

This beautiful image by Sowerby shows the yew with its poisonous bright red berries.  Sowerby created this engraving in 1808, and the original prints were coloured by hand.

Yew trees play a prominent role at Winterbourne.  The line of fastigiate yews which divides the upper and lower lawns was introduced by John Nicolson in the 1920s.  This photo shows the trees during the 1930s.

Cyclamen

The cyclamen provides a welcome burst of colour in winter.  Cyclamen hederifolium is native to the Mediterranean but has become naturalised in northern Europe.  Sowerby’s print shows the ivy-shaped leaf which led to the scientific name of this species, which is derived from the Latin ‘hedera’ meaning ivy.

Many different varieties of cyclamen are grown at Winterbourne.  The flowers of Cyclamen hederifolium appear in autumn, before the leaves.

Autumn crocus

The autumn crocus has been called ‘naked boys’ or ‘naked ladies’, because its flowers appear before its leaves!  The drug colchicine, used to treat gout, is derived from the corm of the autumn crocus.

This autumn crocus specimen, kept in the University Herbarium at Winterbourne, was collected in 1936 by the Rev. Douglas Heath at Bourton-on-the-Hill in Gloucestershire.

Mistletoe

Mistletoe has traditionally been associated with fertility.  In the Christian era, it was regarded as a protection against witches, and by the 18^th century it was incorporated into Christmas celebrations. Servants apparently created the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe!

Mistletoe began appearing on Christmas cards in the Victorian era, and in this image it is paired with that other Christmas favourite, holly. 

You can see these James Sowerby prints, and many more, in the Herbarium exhibition on the first floor of house.