• HOME
  • Introduction
  • Contact details
    • Yorkshire
FABULOUS FOLLIES
...and Landscape Curiosities

Cheshire

BIRKENHEAD                                                            SJ 313 891

Picture
Grand Entrance

Joseph Paxton appointed Lewis Hornblower to design the Ionic Style Grand Entrance to Birkenhead Park but Paxton was not pleased with the design, so modified it.

​The 62 feet high structure was built by Jown and William Walker between 1845 and 1847. 

BIRKENHEAD                                                         SJ 310 890

Picture
Roman Boathouse 

Birkenhead Park was designed by Joseph Paxton. An engraving of the opening in 1847 shows the Boat House and Bridge. The Roman Boathouse has Doric-style pillars and a pebble mosaic floor.
 



Postcard c.1904


Picture

BIRKENHEAD                                                            SJ 310 890

Picture
Swiss Bridge

The footbridge over the lake in Birkenhead Park was erected during the parks construction in the 1840s.  
​It has been renewed several times since. 

It is similar to Lucerne Bridge at Monk Fryston, West Riding.

CHESTER

Picture
Water Tower Gardens Maze

The maze was designed by Adrian Fisher in the Jubilee year of 2002 with red, white and blue paths.








Date taken: 02/04/2012

Picture
  Dovecote











  Date taken: 02/04/2012

KNUTSFORD                                   SJ 752 786

Picture
  Gaskell Memorial Tower

 
The Gaskell Memorial Tower was designed by W.   Longworth and built in 1907-8 for Richard Harding West.   The stone was from the demolished Royal Infirmary and   St Peter's Church in Manchester. A bust of Mrs Gaskell is   in a niche in the wall.

Picture

LYME HANDLEY                                                   SJ 966 830

Picture
The Cage, Lyme Park

A late 16th century hunting tower was demolished in 1734 by George Platt and rebuilt by Peter Platt three years later. It is thought that its name, The Cage, comes from the time it was used as a prison.






Date taken: 01/04/2012

Picture
Picture

LYME HANDLEY                                                   SJ 964 824

Picture
North Front Gateway

The gate piers of the North Front Gateway at Lyme Park are late 17th Century, and are one-roomed lodges. On top of the capstones are lions looking in opposite directions. In the centre of the mid 18th century overthrow is a gadrooned urn that is thought to be the lodges' chimney.




Date taken: 01/04/2012

LYME HANDLEY                                                   SJ 972 823

Picture
The Lantern

A late 16th century bellcote on the north gatehouse to Lyme Park was removed during the restoration of the house by Samuel Wyatt, in the late 18th century, and was rebuilt as the upper storey and spire of a belvedere, known as the lantern.
















Date taken: 01/04/2012

Picture
Picture

LYME HANDLEY                                                   SJ 965 823

Picture
Orangery

The Orangery at Lyme Park was designed in 1815 by Lewis Wyatt for Sir Thomas Legh. In 1862, the interior was altered by Alfred Darbyshire for William Legh.

Lewis Wyatt designed the Orangery at Tatton Park also in Cheshire.




Date taken: 01/04/2012

Picture
Picture

LYME HANDLEY                                                    SJ 968 826

Picture
Pheasant House

The Pheasant House at Lyme Park was built for William Legh and dates from around 1870.









Date taken: 01/04/2012

MARPLE                                                                        SJ 962 891

Picture

Brabyn's Lodge

Brabyn's Hall was built in the early 18th century for Dr Henry Brabyn, a local surgeon, and was demolished in 1952.

Brabyn's Lodge was an early 19th century lodge to Brabyns Park.


PECKFORTON                                                        SJ 538 565

Picture
Elephant and Castle

John Watson was a stone mason working on the Grosvenor Bridge in Chester. In about 1859, he carved pink sandstone into the 8 feet tall elephant with a castle howdah that is now on a garden wall.


TATTON                                                                   SJ 743 815

Picture
Garden seat











Date taken: 01/04/2012

TATTON

Picture
The Monument

The Monument at Tatton Park is a copy of the Choragic Temple of Lysicrates in Athens. Choragic is where choir rehearsals were held for national choir contests.

Other choragic Temples are at:
    FARLEY Staffordshire 'The Choragic Monument'
    ALLOWAY Strathclyde 'Burns Monument'
    EDINBURGH Lothian 'Dugald Stewart Monument'


Date taken: 01/04/2012

TATTON                                                                  SJ 743 815

Picture
Orangery

The Orangery at Tatton Park was designed by Lewis Wyatt in 1818.

​Lewis Wyatt designed the Orangery at Lyme Park also in Cheshire.





Date taken: 01/04/2012

TATTON

Picture
Rose Garden Tea House











Date taken: 01/04/2012

TATTON

Picture
African Hut

The African Hut was built by Maurice Egerton, the last owner of Tatton, during WWII when he was unable to visit his 21,000 acre estate in Kenya.







Date taken: 01/04/2012

Copyright Ray Blyth 2018