Landscape record 4556/1/4 - Parkland and Gardens at Buglawton Hall

<1> Cheshire Gardens Trust, 2011 onwards, Research and Recording Report, Buglawton Hall 2006 (Report). SCH6655.

The grounds consist of a small parkland, a garden on the N, W and S sides of the Hall, and the former pleasure grounds, part of which later became a walled kitchen garden.

Parkland: Two driveways lead uphill through open parkland, which is bordered by woodland containing many old limes, beech and oak. There is evidence of recent tree planting.
Today, this parkland is used for the pupils´ recreation; Twycross´ picture of 185010 and the tithe map´s naming of ´ley´ suggest that it was used for pasture until the property became a school. Today, cars approach via Spink Lane.

The Garden along the Hall´s W facade affords wide views. It is separated from the parkland by a 4´-5´ high terracing wall or ha-ha (no ditch), which follows the knoll´s contour line around the Hall. This wall is already shown on the tithe map of 1836-41.

Photographs and maps suggest that until c. 1908 the garden consisted of a sloping lawn with trees and evergreen shrubs masking the two drives to the N and W. In c. 1908, there were roses and climbers on the W walls and flower beds set into the lawn.

Some time after 1908, a more formal garden of straight lines and right angles was laid out. It consists of three stepped terraces of lawn bordered with shrubs and is bisected by a paved path. This leads from the hall´s central door and a semi circular ´fan´ of small, upright sandstones to a garden feature on the ha-ha wall: a stone base (for an urn or statue?) backed by an ivy-covered, humped wall (2 pillars?). A curved pair of steps then leads down the 5´ ha-ha wall onto to a much larger level grass area, which is bounded on the S by white iron fencing; this area is already shown on the OS map revised 1907 (former tennis courts?).

Layout and workmanship of pavings, steps and stone walling echo the Arts and Crafts style which may suggest that this garden was created for Joseph Maghull Yates K.C. JP and mayor of Congleton - or, after his death in 1916, by later owners.

Kitchen Garden: Most change has occurred in the area between the N drive and Spink Lane to the N and NE of the Hall. The tithe map of 1836-41 and OS map of 1875 show a rectangular lawn with footpaths around it, and a belt of trees against the boundary to Spink Lane. It is named Pleasure Ground on the tithe map.

By 1910 this rectangular lawn had become a kitchen garden enclosed with high stone walls on the E and S, and a set of 3 greenhouses against the S wall. Later, this kitchen garden was extended up to Spink Lane and the greenhouses moved against the boundary wall, thus facing S. In 1947 the kitchen garden was productive, ´exceptionally well stocked and had a wide range of mature fruit trees in addition to productive vines in the greenhouses.´

In 2006 (site visit), the fruit trees had gone, but there were still two large greenhouses against the Spink Lane wall, also the frame of a planting tunnel and beds laid out in about half the kitchen garden´s area. All showed signs of fairly recent neglect. Building work started here in 2008, and in Nov 2009 a new two-storey residential building was completed. It is sited along the plantation/NE boundary of the former kitchen garden and at right angles to the greenhouses and Spink Lane wall.

Features and Condition
Overall, the boundaries, layout and structure of both parkland and gardens are remarkably intact.
● Small parkland; little change in layout and planting since 1836.
● Terraced garden along West façade, created post 1908.
● Walled kitchen garden laid out between 1875 and 1907 (OS map evidence); now contains
new school building (2009). Two large greenhouses remain.

<2> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 1087062 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

A late eighteenth century former mansion in a small park.

<3> Hartwell C, Hyde M, Hubbard E & Pevsner N, 2011, The Buildings of England: Cheshire (2011 revision), p.190 (Book). SCH7059.

Buglawton Hall, Buxton Road 5/8m NE in attractive informal grounds.

<4> Gifford and Partners, 2007, Buglawton Hall School. Desk Based Assessment, p.13-14 (Client Report). SCH4910.

The first Ordnance Survey map of the area was produced in 1873 at a scale of 1:2,500. In terms of layout of the land there is little deviation from the tithe plan of 1841. What this map does show much more clearly is the topographic detail of the landscape, including the pond and tree in the parkland to the west of the Hall, and the position of earthworks around the western perimeter if the hall gardens marking the location of terraces ( this is not the location of the later ha-ha)

In 1909 the 1:2,500 OS map shows that , while there had been no further change to the buildings around the hall, the ha-ha to the front of the hall gardens had been created.

Buglawton Hall is first referred to as a school on the OS map for 1965. The map also shows the pond to the south of the house and that the parkland beyond had been reduced significantly in size with a new southern boundary