Scheduled Monument: Garden Gateway at Tilstone Hall 130m South of Tilstone Hall Farm (1018339)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Garden gateway at Tilstone Hall 130m south of Tilstone Hall Farm PARISH: TILSTONE FEARNALL DISTRICT: CHESTER COUNTY: CHESHIRE NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 30367 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SJ57276083 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument includes the ruins of a two-storey gatehouse for a walled garden originally attached to Tilstone Hall. The house was built around AD 1600 by Thomas Wilbraham of Woodhey and, after damage during the Civil War, was pulled down in about AD 1740. The gatehouse is all that remains of this mansion and its garden. The gatehouse, which is listed Grade II, is built of red sandstone ashlar with some brickwork repairs to the structure and brick infilling of the window openings. On the south west front there is a central pedestrian archway with moulded springers and ovolo moulding to the arch voussoirs. This was flanked by mullioned widows with pediments over, now blocked with brickwork. The north east face is similar, with a central archway and blocked mullioned windows. One cabled Doric column survives on the right hand side of this doorway. Other columns are now missing. The building was probably intended to be used as a banqueting house in the upper storey and a retreat for the enjoyment of the garden. The post and wire fence to the south of the gateway is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath it is included. ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE Many early houses had gardens associated with them. Examples are known from as far back in time as the Roman period. During the 16th century there was a surge in interest in garden design in order to emulate the achievements of late classical models known from Latin literature and to imitate examples reported from Italy and France. The forms of such gardens might include water management with ponds and canals, elaborate geometric plantings and ornamental walls with summerhouses, banqueting houses and gazebos. These garden buildings were designed to complement the architecture of the main house and open some of the functions of the house into the garden. In particular they were to provide a place for quiet recreation and contemplation for a gentleman and his friends. A banqueting house provided a place for elaborate dining in a situation which was closer to nature and away from the cares of running an estate. The gatehouse and banqueting house at Tilstone Hall survives well despite the loss of the roof and parts of the upper storey. The building still shows a wealth of the original detail and represents a fine example of a local mixture of classical and medieval proportion and style. It is one of two surviving examples in Cheshire, the other being at Gawsworth Hall. MONUMENT INCLUDED IN THE SCHEDULE ON 16th November 1998