The house and garden was requisitioned during WWII and thousands of trees were cut down to make way for Dunmow Airfield. After the war the gardens were split (the lakes were given to Dunmow fishing club) and the garden fell into disrepair.
There have been two restoration projects and you can find out more about the history here
I first visited the gardens about 20 years ago and over the years the gardens have had a gradual restoration and I can definitely see improvements but alas I don't think they will ever get back to their former glory as say Biddulph Grange was, Still it makes a nice Sunday afternoon stroll.
