 Work began in 1903, with the construction of various outbuildings, including thatched semi-detached gardeners' cottages and a complex of gardens.Initially experiments with construction techniques using materials derived from the site were carried out, for example in the construction of the walls of vegetable garden.The main house was not begun until 1904, when the sunken flower garden, and deep, was excavated to provide aggregates for the construction of the house itself.