Up the hill to the north of the American Garden on the south-facing craggy slope of the river valley, was an overhanging, secret flower and shrub garden containing many alpine plants. It was first designed and planted during 1795-6 by Dr James Anderson (1739-1808), the noted Scottish Agriculturalist, for the express use of Johnes' daughter, Mariamne (1784-1811). A botanist in her own right, she certainly collected plants and presumably also tended them (Smith Corresp., Linnean Soc.passim). The approach to the garden was from a steep zig-zag climb up stone steps. The shrubbery was surrounded by a semicircular wall locked at a postern to all but the most special visitors (Shepherd MS, Manchester Coll Oxford, vol 4, fos 43 and 47).

Anderson divided the site into an Upper and Lower garden. The latter, possibly a heather garden, occupied the rocky platform below the southwestern entrance (ibid vol 14, fo 13). Thomas Johnes wrote to James Edward Smith in 1803 that Mariamne had 'five gardens..to look after. The Upper one..wonderfully pretty..lately ornamented with a beautiful vase..'(Smith Corresp., Linnean Soc., 16 xi 1803). The Upper Garden was probably sub-divided to accommodate specific plant requirements. Its rocky nature was particularly well-suited to alpines and the steep southern overhang would have provided an attractive habitat for rare scree and moraine plants (Smith Corresp. Linnean Soc.; M. Johnes to J.E.Smith u.d. (1801)).
Whereas the paths were originally bordered by American rhododendons, possibly R. maximum and R. catawbiense, like much of the estate, this hillside has become naturalised by R. ponticum (Smith 1810,14). This has recently been cut back to be eventually replaced by less energetic varieties. Clearance of the garden is now almost complete, trees having been cut to leave roots in the ground so that potentially important man-made features might not be disturbed. Having been partially smashed by ancient fallen trees and eroded by nature, the outer retaining wall has been carefully re-laid and has every appearance of an authentic restoration. Unfortunately, termimation of the MSC scheme left messy cemented walls and steps at the more northerly entrance. Now that the public is to be invited into this area, to comply with safety regulations the Forestry Commission has surmounted the ascent with a tasteful black-painted steel safety rail. Eventually due consideration is to be given re-planting the interior with authentic stock.

Within, paths of quartz fragments are still to be seen, though the surface of the much used central path is eroding downslope. Local amateur interest in the project is strong and has resulted in the uncovering of steps descending the steepest, southeastern, part of the rock exposure here. Although this digging has resulted in useful discovery, there is very real danger that such activity will not only attract further exploration by the general public, but might also disturb the soil originally forming the discrete plant habitats of Mariamne's Alpine Garden. In fact, these steps descend to what was in all probability Mariamne's 'Fernery', a site demanding the closest of controls in any future scientific investigation. Problems of restoration and re-planting are similar here to those encountered in the American Garden. Our ignorance centres upon the nature and location of Mariamne's five distinct gardens at this site; the original 'moss-house'(Shepherd MS loc cit 14,fos 11-16; Malkin 1804, 348); the nature of a ?nineteenth century summerhouse marked upon the O.S. 1888 25-inch plan, and the original siting of a Carrara Marble Urn, one of the last works of Thomas Banks, now on display inside the National Library at Aberystwyth.

C.S.Briggs 19.10.05 from printed texts of c 1990-92