Monument record 327/3/0 - Formal Gardens at Cholmondeley Hall

Extensive formal gardens in the French style were laid out around the Old Hall in the years after 1688 when the French gardener Lecocke (d 1691) was sent to work at Cholmondeley. On his death George London (d 1714) was brought in. An agreement of 1694 included details of the canal that was then under construction. In 1695 leadwork was supplied by John Van Nost (d 1729), and Jean Tijou was paid for iron gates (Cholmondeley Papers). Work by both survives, resited in the Castle grounds. The main gatescreen to the north of the Old Hall was supplied by Robert Bakewell c 1722. In 1724 Macky described the gardens as 'not inferior to any in England' (CL 1973, 155), and they were illustrated in the following year in Vitruvius Britannicus. Few traces of those gardens remain other than a north/south canal 100m north of the Old Hall. The canal, 350m long and 25m wide, widens at its north end into a circular pool 90m across. About 100m east of the south end of the canal is a square pool, c 75m in diameter. Surrounding earthworks are slight and denuded (1). Full documentation and plans are to be found in the Cheshire County Record Office but plans were published by Campbell in 1725 (2 & 3). Little remains of these gardens apart from some fishponds to the north of the site of the old Hall and other items which have been moved to the Castle Gardens; gates and screen 1722 by Bakewell (SJ 5348 5126), gate to Temple Gardens c.1695 by Tijou (SJ 5375 5114), urns by Van Nost 1695 (SJ 5370 5114) (4) & (5). The long canal with its circular end forming the main axis of the garden survives in slightly altered form. A tree lined avenue approached the gardens from the south of the old hall (see 327/3/1).

<1> English Heritage, 2001, Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest, GD1629 (Report). SCH2822.

<2> Campbell C, 1725, Virtuvius Britannicus, 3/79 (Maps and Plans). SCH3663.

<3> Cholmondeley Estate, C12th-C20th, Cholmondeley family of Cholmondeley, records, DCH/A/397 (Manuscript). SCH406.

<4> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

<5> IPC Media, 1897-Present, Country Life, 19/7/73 Jackson-Stops G (Newspaper-Magazine). SCH993.