Landscape record 1150/2/0 - Somerford Park

Park at Somerford Park was laid out in the early 19th century by Davenport and Webb, but is now mostly farmland (1).

'...a park well timbered, and bounded on the north by the stream of the Dane. On the south side was formerly a large artificial lake, which burst its dam a few years ago and the site has been recently planted over.....sloping in one direction to the Dane and in the other to the steep banks of a sheet of water, situated considerably below the level of the greater lake before mentioned. The grounds were laid out by Mr Davenport and Mr Webb.' (2).

The 'greater lake' mentioned by Ormerod (see 2 above) was located in Pool Wood and is depicted on the 1840 Tithe map for the township. It was located to the west of the hall (3).

Somerford Park was created between 1800 and 1819 as a private residence. Only parts of Somerford Park's features remain. The formal and woodland gardens remain, along with the family chapel in the surviving parkland. The kitchen garden and icehouse have also survived but are in a ruinous state (4).

Research and recording of Somerford Park, A hall and walled garden of 1711-20, (with additions in 1797, 1835, 1860) and a landscape park created from 1788 in consultation with John Webb (1804-05). The hall was demolished 1925-27 on departure of the Shakerley family (occupation 1711-1925), leaving the 600 acre park in divided ownership. Some buildings and drives remain but old parkland trees, the walled garden and pleasure grounds have all been lost.

Principal remaining features
C18 buildings
• All Saints Chapel of Ease (listed II*) (1)
• Stables (converted for housing) (2)
• Walled garden: small sections of brick wall (3-5)
• Ice house (ruin) and associated pond (7-8) C19 buildings
• W service wing, now Somerford Hall Farm (9)
• Estate Building, bailiff’s house, now part of Somerford Park Farm (10)
• Estate boundary wall (11), two lodges, keeper’s estate cottage C18 and C19 landscape features
• Drive entering from SE (12)
• Drive from A54 to chapel via bridge in steep valley of Loach Brook
• Woodlands on N and W perimeter
• Some veteran trees (copper beech (16), yew trees by chapel)
• Crescent-shaped fish pond
• 2 Araucarias in former Victorian S garden

<1> de Figueiredo P & Treuherz J, 1988, Cheshire Country Houses, p.271 (Book). SCH785.

<2> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Vol. III, p.58 (Book). SCH1389.

<3> See map for surveyor, c.1837-51, Cheshire Tithe Maps and Awards, EDT 362/2 (Maps and Plans). SCH3266.

<4> Parks and Gardens Data Services Ltd, Various, Parks & Gardens UK, Record Id: 3004 13/06/2012 (Web Site). SCH6814.

<5> Cheshire Gardens Trust, 2011 onwards, Research and Recording Report (Report). SCH6655.