Monument record 1969/3/0 - Eaton Hall Gardens & Deer Park

<1> Laurie I, 1983, Eaton Estate Landscape Conservation Plan, p.25-27 (Report). SCH1095.

Eaton Hall Gardens & Deer Park. C17 Classical style mansion with formal gardens & "trees arranged in long alleys, intersected by walks & plantations, the centers of squares thus formed being ornamented by statues". Many farm fields were removed during construction of garden, but medieval hall, moat & associated buildings were kept. An East-West orientation established by avenues of trees either side of the Hall-Belgrave Approach on West. Also, a Formal Avenue across deer park. There are water basins in the deer park & gardens. Gardens had elaborate 'Quincunx' pattern of paths through hedged tree plantations & extensive orchards & buildings near the river with a ford ('The Eaton Boat').Views by Kip 1712-14; Badeslade & Thomas, 1758 & plan by Badeslade 1738 show evolution of these schemes. Park landscaped C18, possibly by Capability Brown. Provided with peripheral carriage drive, diagonal drives & irregular tree belts. Prospect of informal parkland from house created to South by removal of part of formal garden & original moated site. In C19 landscaping continued under John Webb. Formal avenues removed & approach roads established-Belgrave to West retained and extended, 2.5km; Chester (Duke's Drive) to North, 5km; Eccleston to North East, 1.5km; Aldford to South East,2km; Buerton to East,4km & Pulford to Southwest, 5.5km. Deer Park on 1839 Tithe Map extended North to double its size. By now formal gardens swept away & 2 lakes created in meadows to East (Fish Pond) & South (Serpentine) & large new plantation (Duck Wood) had extensive drainage channels. Most interesting features in present gardens created & built C19, including formal gardens by William Nesfield, Italian Garden by Sir Edwin Lutyens (1896-98) & Dutch Garden by C E Hallows c.1905. Alterations to gardens by Detmar Blow 1911. Lodges added to approach drives late C19. Also of note is Loggia (Roman Temple) by Waterhouse c.1880, with reconstructed Roman columns & altar. (See also source 2)

<2> English Heritage, 2001, Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest, 1985 (Report). SCH2822.

Grade II Listed.

<3> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, Vol 20, p.25, Harrison W, 1902 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

Many garden buildings listed. Deer Park stocked with deer from at least 1714 shown in Kip's view.

<4> IPC Media, 1897-Present, Country Life, Issue 29, p.724-731, 1920 (Newspaper-Magazine). SCH993.

<5> Bunney M & Hills A, 1979, Elysian Gardens, p.4 (Book). SCH1105.

<6> Holme C, 1908, Gardens of England in the Midland & Eastern Counties, p.61-64 (Book). SCH1258.

<7> Bird S et al, 1996, A Late Sixteenth-century Garden; fact or fantasy. The Portrait of Sir George Delves, Garden History, Vol 24, 12/1 (Article in Journal). SCH1256.

<8> Pevsner N & Hubbard E, 1971, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, p.207-213, 1978 (Book). SCH3078.

<9> Unknown, 1920, Architectural Review, 29, p.724-731 (Book). SCH371.

<10> Various, Aerial photographs, Eaton 1-4, Williams S R, 1976 (Aerial Photograph). SCH128.

<11> Higham N J, 1984-9, Professor Nick Higham's Aerial Photographs, 1986/8/3 (Aerial Photograph). SCH7659.

<12> Cheshire Historic Environment Record, 1989, Jill Collens' Aerial Photographs, 6.0571 (Aerial Photograph). SCH9711.