Monument record 11272 - Queens House and Gardens

Historic Ordnance Survey maps from the Town Plans to the 1930s 3rd edition map indicate the presence of a large country house set in a designed parkland landscape. The Town Plans indicates the presence of an ice house and pump house in the south west corner close to the canal while to the north of the main house there is a collection of glass houses, and later an aviary on the site of the current Queen Hotel.

Archaeological investigations at the site of the Leadworks complex prior to its redevelopment identified evidence of this house and gardens, established on the site of the later Queens House in the mid to late 18th century. The evidence included traces of the 18th century country house itself and the boundary wall of the gardens. In the late 19th century further evidence of the gardens was recorded including the construction of an ice house, the cutting of domestic wells and the construction of the boundary walls separating the gardens from the leadworks.

The earliest evidence consisted of a robbed out wall line [cut 2160] containing quantities of burned brick and floor tile of a possible mid 18th century date; and a vertical sided post hole [2163] interpreted as a suspended floor contemporary with the wall. Across the remainder of the site, there is evidence of enclosure ditches of a later 18th century date. The features indicate a structure on or near the site of the later Queens House that was demolished by the end of the 18th century.

Evidence for the construction of Queens House was also noted during the archaeological investigations consisting of the constructed of a precinct ditch and an east-west aligned precinct wall surrounding the house and gardens. (1)

A Research and recording report by the Chehsire Gardens Trust in 2017 identified the survival of a small part of a garden here, by the prominent North West landscape designer Edward Kemp, Superintendent of Birkenhead Park. Described with a plan in his book ‘How to Lay Out a Garden’. Kemp designed nearby Grosvenor Park and Queen’s Park villas; despite the small remnant, the garden has group value with these. Designed probably c.1854 for Edward Walker owner of the Chester Leadworks. A later head gardener was Robert Newstead, eminent naturalist and Curator of the Grosvenor Museum. Principal remaining features include a lawn and path to the north side of the house (now offices), mature trees and part of one wall. Rest of garden greatly altered with residential and other development. (2)

<1> L - P Archaeology, 2003, Watching brief report on land at the Leadworks, Chester, R3222 (Client Report). SCH6568.

<2> Cheshire Gardens Trust, 2011 onwards, Research and Recording Report (Report). SCH6655.