Category: Parks & Gardens

National Trust.
Speke Hall was built in stages during the sixteenth century by the Norris family, and now comprises four timber-framed ranges built around a central courtyard. The south-eastern corner with the Great Hall appears to be the earliest part, and the east range, containing the kitchen and scullery, is the latest.
The house later was neglected, and when purchased by Richard Watt in 1795 it appears to have been derelict, with the west wing in complete decay. A full restoration was not carried out until the 1850’s, and this gave the interiors their present antiquarian character. William Morris wallpapers were put up in various rooms. The Tudor-style furniture was mostly introduced in the 19th century.
The double-height Great Hall is of irregular shape and contains two fireplaces and elaborate wooden panelling and bay windows. The Great Parlour has an ornate plaster ceiling, and a large fireplace with above it carved wood panels representing William Norris II with his two wives and nineteen children. At the other end of the room is a massive oak buffet containing pieces of older carving.
The Blue Drawing Room was fitted out in the 17th century. It is presently decorated with William Morris wallpaper, and furnished with a suite of Louis XV style furniture purchased in the 19th century. There are several bedrooms on display. The arrangement of the kitchen and scullery dates from the Victorian renovations of around 1855, and the present cooking range was installed about 1910.
There are formal gardens around the house (mainly behind to the South) and a substantial park with woods, a kitchen garden and orchard, maze and visitor block (formerly a farm).

The black and white exterior of the house is striking, and the interiors contain many features and furnishings of interest. Outside, one can enjoy the formal gardens and walk in the wider grounds, which form an oasis of green in an area which today is heavily industrialised, with the airport a few hundred yards away. The River Mersey should be visible from the south edge of the grounds. (Click on images to enlarge)

National Trust.
Tatton Park is a complete historic estate with the Neo-Classical mansion, a Tudor Old hall, 50 acres of landscaped gardens, a working farm and over 1000 acres of deer park. It was owned for hundreds of years by the Egerton family. The core of the present mansion was completed around 1716. The mansion was then extensively altered in the fashionable Neo-Classical style in two stages between 1780 and 1813, by the architects Samuel Wyatt and his nephew Lewis Wyatt.
The Mansion is richly furnished and has a valuable collection of paintings and books. In the Library, facsimiles are displayed of one or two of the more interesting volumes, including the Wallington Manuscript facsimile (a diary of the Civil War period which makes very interesting reading with its enthusiastic descriptions of executions and civil warfare).

The Gardens have many areas with flowering trees etc, several large ponds, a Japanese garden (seen from perimeter), Italian Garden, 6 acre kitchen garden, tropical and temperate conservatories.

When I visited, I enjoyed an interesting special tour conducted by two “servants” which started at 10.30 am. Then I visited the gardens (large and impressive) then made a free-flow visit to house. Total 4.5 hours. (Click on images below to enlarge)

National Trust.
Lyme Park has been gradually developed since the Middle Ages. It was largely rebuilt during the reign of Elizabeth I, and the centre of the north front dates from this period. The Palladian courtyard, South front and West front date from the 18th century, and further alterations, mainly affecting the interiors, were carried out by the architect Lewis Wyatt in the 19th century. Wyatt altered floor levels, access routes and the functions of many of the principal rooms as well as changing the decor.
Internally, the house has a generally Jacobean aspect. Some rooms, like the Drawing Room, have survived from the Jacobean period with minor alterations, while others have been reworked, while still being fitted out in a Jacobean style.
The house was owned by the Legh family from the Middle Ages till 1946.
On the first floor, many of the principal rooms are on display, while on the second floor, the Long Gallery and some other rooms can be seen. A tour can take around 2 hours.
The gardens, mostly to the south, are very fine, with a lake and large changes of level. The Dutch formal garden seen from far above is particularly impressive. There is also a substantial park (not seen).
Photography of the interior of the house is not permitted, but I took some pictures of the gardens (click on images to enlarge).

National Trust
Wightwick Manor is one of the finest surviving examples of a house furnished under the influence of the Victorian Arts and Crafts Movement. Thought built in the late nineteenth century, it is designed to look like a late medieval house, with its external black-and-white timbering and small-paned leaded windows. The eastern half, which was built later, is the more richly decorated, with stripes, swirls and quatrefoils, said to be in the style of Tudor buildings of the Welsh Marches.
Inside, the house has a more or less medieval-style interior, with all the latest 19th century conveniences. The contents, collected at various periods in the house’s history, include Pre-Raphaelite art and other collectibles from the Victorian period.
The formal gardens and grounds of 19 acres include two lakes, a vegetable garden and woodland.
Wightwick Manor (pronounced “Wittick”), inside and out, is a must-see for fans of Victorian art, design and architecture.

A few miles away I stumbled on the “Tudor House” at Histons Hill, Oaken, by the side of a busy road. It looks as if it has been crumbling there since the Tudor period, but in fact was built during the 20th century by the architect KH Smith, using timbers from several ancient buildings.