Monument record 200/2/0 - Crewe Hall Park and Gardens

<1> English Heritage, 2001, Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest, GD1020 (Report). SCH2822.

Degraded mid nineteenth formal gardens by William Andrews Nesfield associated with a country house, with the remains of a landscaped park on which William Emes (before 1768), John Webb and Humphry Repton (1791) are all said to have worked. See Register entry for full description.

<2> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Vol.III p.311 (Book). SCH1389.

Earliest view of house is by Hollar c.1655 (reproduced from 3); it depicts the north-eastern elevation of the house. It depicts a forecourt with lodges at each corner and an archway at centre (similar to the surviving arrangement at Dorfold Hall).This is approached by causeway between pair of rectangular ponds or possibly a broad moat. There is a walled garden to the east of the house.

<3> King, D, Streater, J, Crew, R, Chaloner, J, Lee, S, Webb, W, Smith, W, 1656, The Vale-Royall of England, or, The County Palatine of Chester Illustrated, p.75 (Book). SCH3248.

<4> King, D, Grose, F, Pennant, T, Leycester, P, Lee, S, Webb, W, Smith, W, 1778, The History of Cheshire: Containing King's Vale-Royal Entire. (Book). SCH8641.

<5> Harris J, 1979, The Artist and the Country House: A History of Country House and Garden View Painting in Britain, 1540-1870, p.32, p.142 (Book). SCH3049.

By c.1710 the garden had been altered and extended. This view shows extensive formal gardens to west, east and north of the house. The moat-like feature has been filled in, but a large square pond had been created to the right of the approach. Other paddocks and water features are depicted.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ75 SW 1 (Index). SCH2487.

The illustration in Ormerod (see 2) may depict the remains of an earlier moat in the form of the rectangular ponds [White JH, 23/09/1960] (see 7).

<7> Allen EW, 1871-3, The Antiquary, Vol.III p.145 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3022.

‘…The mansion stands in a park of some 30 acres, pleasantly diversified with gentle undulations, the general effect being considerably enhanced by the formation of a lake, which collects together the waters of several small rivulets…In its original state, Sir Randulph's erection appears to have been surrounded by ofices and square courts and gardens…’

<8> North West Landscape Group, 1985, Historic Parks and Gardens in Cheshire, p.4, 16 (Report). SCH1367.

Extensive wooded parkland with formal garden and features in part with modern buildings. Ornamental gates. House: 1615-36 and nineteenth century.

Extensive grazed and wooded parklands in flattish countryside, designed by H. Repton in the nineteenth century. 'His lake immediately to the north of the house has vanished' (Pevsner, see (11)). Formal gardens with flower beds on the south side of the hall were designed by W.A. Nesfield. A fine terrace with interesting statuary remains.

'Crewe Hall is two buildings in one. Some people think of it as a Jacobean house, others as E.M. Barry's most ambitious mansion' (Pevsner, see (11)). A large imposing building which dominates the geometric garden and forms the major architectural feature for the parkland.

Much of the ornamental garden south of the Hall has been built over with modern buildings and car park.

<9> Manchester Metropolitan University, 1995, Historic Cheshire Landscapes: Appendix 1 Selected Landscapes and Appendix 2 Full Inventory, Appendix 2: Crewe Hall, Crewe Park (Unpublished Report). SCH1356.

c.1710 garden altered and extended, present gardens by WA Nesfield c.1870.

<10> de Figueiredo P & Treuherz J, 1988, Cheshire Country Houses, p.67, 71 (Book). SCH785.

<11> Pevsner N & Hubbard E, 1971, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, p.191-5 (Book). SCH3078.

<12> Desmond R., 1988, Bibliography of British Landscape Gardens (Book). SCH9551.

<13> Burdett, P. P., 1777, A Survey of the County Palatine of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH113.

<14> Greenwood, C. & Greenwood J., 1819, Map of the County Palatine of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH2115.

<15> Bryant, A., 1831, Map of the County Palatine of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH2114.

<16> IPC Media, 1897-Present, Country Life, XXXIII, 634 & XI, 400 (Newspaper-Magazine). SCH993.

<17> Liverpool Museum Field Archaeology Unit, 2000, An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment of the Proposed A534 Crewe Green Link Road, p.20 (Client Report). SCH4263.

The gardens and park at Crewe Hall have a long and complicated history. The earliest view of the house is c.1655 and shows a forecourt with lodges at each corner and an archway at the centre (similar to the surviving arrangement at Dorfold Hall). This is approached by a causeway between a pair of rectangular ponds of possibly a broad moat. A walled garden was located to the east, of which the Apple House (c.1635) is a survival. By 1710 the garden had been altered and extended. This view shows extensive formal gardens to the east, west, and north of the house. The ‘moat’ has been filled in and a new square pond to the right of the approach created. The structure of the present park was created by Repton, but it has suffered considerable alteration in modern times. The present gardens are by WA Nesfield (c.1870).