A quarry tile water feature at RHS Chelsea
Ketley Staffordshire blue clay quarry tiles
Designer - Alexandra Noble
Water feature build - Water Artisans
Main garden build - Collinson's Landscaping
Photography - Eva Nameth
Alexandra Noble's Range Rover Cloister, at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, was a serene, architectural garden on Main Avenue designed to reflect the calm, crafted luxury of Range Rover’s modern design philosophy. Commissioned to preview the upcoming Range Rover Electric, Noble created a sculptural sanctuary defined by hornbeam columns, a quarry tile water feature, crafted stone pathways and pollinator‑friendly planting.
Alexandra is known for her natural planting schemes and here she used a palette of soft whites, cream, lilac and purple shade-loving plants to create a meditative garden. A quarry tile water feature, created with stacked 150mm x 150mm Ketley Staffordshire blue clay tiles sits amidst the planting providing a focal point of stillness and calm. A constant flow of water runs over the almost vitrified clay tiles catching the light and reflections of the surrounding planting.
The natural Staffordshire blue clay colour of the quarry tiles harmonised with the stone pathways and contributed to a cohesive material palette that balanced luxury with simplicity.
‘I love how the gently rippling water captures shifting reflections of the surrounding garden and the ever-changing sky,’ explains the designer, Alexandra Noble. ‘Whether it’s the pathway or the water feature, we wanted to elevate everyday materials in a way that could, hopefully, inspire visitors to examine their surroundings more consciously.’
Alexandra designed the garden with a future considerably longer than RHS Chelsea 2026. Ketley quarry tiles are exceptionally robust and hardwearing, with very low water absorption. They are able to withstand the harsh freeze thaw forces that an outdoor water feature will face in a UK winter. The garden has now been donated and reconstructed at St. Cecilia's Care Home in Bromley, where it will provide a calm and meditative outdoor space for its residents for many years to come.
