RCAHMW aerial reconnaissance on 26th January 2006 revealed low earthworks in the grounds to the east of Grove mansion (NPRN 403983) which appear to represent possible early garden features of 17th century style, similar to those at Landshipping to the south-west (NPRN 95608).

Principal earthworks revealed lay in the eastern part of the triangular enclosed grounds associated with Grove, to the south and east of relict walled gardens which lie to the immediate south of the present east-west drive to the mansion, south of Grove Cottages. These earthworks comprise parcels of chevrons and parallel ridges, arranged in squared blocks with neighbouring groups of ridges set at right-angles, these potentially representing the remnants of formal planting schemes or raised beds. Central to the grounds is a broad linear earthwork aligned north-south, marked as a trackway on the 19th century County Series mapping but visible on aerial photographs as a broad flat bank flanked by ditch on the west side, possibly representing a drive or walk. To the immediate north of the mansion, in pasture, low earthworks of a square sunken feature, very denuded, can be seen.

The eastern half of the present grounds at Grove are currently bounded by a minor road running diagonally NE/SW, which forms the long side of the triangular boundary. This would appear to represent a truncation of the original extent of the relict garden earthworks, which may once have been more expansive and filled a rectangular area. Field boundaries to the east of Grove seem to suggest that originally the gardens were arranged in a north-south rectangle, which at a later date was bisected by the diagonal road, with the gardens to the SE subsequently given over the agriculture and ploughed away.

T. Driver, 30th Jan 2006