The thorns guarding the door to Purgatory seem real enough here in Ruskin's garden but on closer inspection the coils of angry looking barbs are moulded rubber.

This is clearly no ordinary place.

Due to open to the public on May 20, the garden is inching towards completion. Estate and garden manager Sally Beamish explained how the idea to take visitors on a trip towards paradise came about.

"Dante crops up all over the place in Ruskin's writing. Like most of Ruskin's work we were putting clues together."

She said the garden design was based on two small sketches, by Ruskin, of what he called the "Zig Zaggy" garden. A known fan of Dante, Ruskin's thumbnail sketches appear to be basic plans for a multi-layer garden at his Brantwood home.

A team of staff built on Ruskin's designs, creating a walk which follows Dante's path through purgatory.

The heritage lottery-funded project also includes the restoration of the high walk, a spectacular viewing platform over Consiton Water above Ruskin's former home.

"The new garden is an ideal way to access the high walk. It is nice and gentle so it is suitable for people of all ages," said Miss Beamish .

As visitors explore the path up the Purgatorial Mount towards the first circle of earthly paradise they will encounter a subtle blend of art and allegory, nature and artifice.

The completed garden is stuffed full of thought-provoking details from a stony "desert" of envy through symbols such as a series of receptacles to collect the tears of repentants. Lust is represented by a series of puckered lips on the ground with individual kneeling places. Materials from fleece and oak to copper and marble have been used to represent sins from gluttony to sloth and avarice.

Planting is the key to the garden and has been adapted to reflect Dante's work and also to encourage people to look at plants in different ways.

Miss Beamish said plants ranged from the "coarse and obvious" through to grasses right up to "little jewels of plants" at the top.

"We want to shock people out of preconceptions about what a Victorian man would have as a garden so they see he is a man for today," she said.

The unique project proved enough to lure fine artist and gardener Gundala Deutchlander all the way from her native South Africa to Consison. Other team members included gardener and artist Lynne Hardie, Peter Wright and assistant head forester for the National Trust Bill Atkinson

"We don't usually advertise for staff. Sometimes it works best when people find us because of their interest in Ruskin," said Miss Beamish.

But does fire and brimstone have a place in a 250 acre estate in the cool and shady Lakes?

"This isn't hell it is purgatory. Purgatory is about hope, hell is about damnation," she said. Paradise could be closer than you thought possible.

For details of Brantwood house and gardens contact 015394-41396 or log onto http://www.brantwood.org.uk.

April 16, 2003 14:00