Though there is no trace of archaeological artefacts at the Clos du Peyronnet, the road leading to the site is thought to be the Roman via Aurelia. Six and seven centuries old olive trees still thrive today throughout the property.
The villa was built on this ancient fertile ground in 1897. At the time, the eastern outskirts of the old port town of Menton were much favoured by the English, and in 1912 Derick and Barbara Waterfield bought the Clos du Peyronnet from a Mrs. Troubridge. Neighbours included Mrs. Colville at the Villa Himalaya to the east and Field Marshal Earl Haig at the Villa Ramornie to the south.
After the Second World War, Derick and Barbara Waterfield left the villa to their sons Anthony and Humphrey, the latter who, throughout his lifetime, redesigned and replanted the garden. Eventually the building was divided into apartments. Humphrey died in 1971, and the property was passed on to Anthony, and then to Anthony’s son William in 1976. Over three generations, the Waterfields transformed the Clos du Peyronnet’s grounds into a carefully designed garden in the Arts and Crafts style.
The Waterfield Garden at Le Clos du Peyronnet benefits from deep soil and an abundant fresh water supply. The garden is situated on the foothills of the Menton-Garavan’s Maritime Alps protected from wind and sea spray. The site’s remarkable views benefit from southern exposure with mature trees for shade, solid terraces, and France’s mildest winter climate. Adding to the excellent natural location, five pools lead down the hillside forming a water-staircase to the sea. The garden’s pergolas, arches, paths, terrace walls and topiary hedges are punctuated by carefully-placed modern artefacts such as glazed, terra cotta, lead and bronze pots.
Under Humphrey and William Waterfield’s stewardship, the garden evolved over the decades. It is an artistic garden with various views and vistas, some inward and others borrowing from the landscape: the open sea to the south, the old town of Menton to the west, and the cliffs of Rochers Rouges and neighbouring Italy to the east. Mysteriously jungle-like in parts and formal in others, plants have been gathered and combined on the standard of a small botanic garden. Its important components range from edible subtropical fruit to winter growing bulbs. The iridaceous genera, Dietes and Chasmanthe, are recognized by the Conservatoire des Collections Végétales Specialisées (CCVS) as national collections in this remarkable garden.
In 2017, the Clos du Peyronnet was distinguished by the French Ministry of Culture as a historic monument.
