Trentham Gardens
Encyclopedia
Trentham Gardens are formal Italianate gardens, and an English landscape park in Trentham, Staffordshire
on the southern fringes of the city of Stoke-on-Trent
, England
. The former house on the site, Trentham Hall, became one of many to be demolished in the 20th century when in 1912, its owner the 4th Duke of Sutherland
razed it to the ground. However, the gardens and the park with its lake and woodlands have been preserved. One of the reasons for the demolition of the house was pollution of the River Trent
, which flows through the grounds. The pollution causing pottery
industry has long gone and there are now kingfisher
s in the grounds.
The gardens and park at Trentham currently cover some 300 acres (1.2 km²). They were designed as a serpentine park
by Capability Brown
from 1758 onwards, overlying an earlier formal design attributed to Charles Bridgeman
. However, in the twentieth century Trentham Gardens was principally known for the surviving formal gardens laid out in the 1840s by Sir Charles Barry, who also created Italianate gardens at Harewood House
and Cliveden
.
The gardens were the site of the Trentham Ballroom, which opened in 1931 and closed in 2002. Many dance, rock and pop bands performed at Trentham Ballroom, including The Beatles
, Pink Floyd
, The Who
and Led Zeppelin
. The Ballroom also hosted degree ceremonies for North Staffordshire Polytechnic. Before the re-opening of the Trentham Estate many ideas were put forward, including the construction of a theme park, however this was quickly rejected by residents and the planning authority.
The Trentham estate is undergoing a major £120-million ($200m) redevelopment by St Modwen Properties plc as a leisure destination called "The Trentham Estate".
The project at Trentham includes restoration of the Italian gardens and woodlands, and creation of a garden centre. The aim is to avoid noisy theme park-like attractions, and instead to offer "authentic experiences" to older people and younger children. Recently a monkey forest, the first of its kind in England, has opened. Visitors can roam through the park where 140 Barbary Macaque
monkeys wander free in the woodlands. There are no fences in place to stop the monkeys from interacting with the visitors, although it is against park rules to touch the animals and wardens are on standby to ensure the safety of the visitors.
In December 2008 a Giant Observation Wheel was opened on site for tourists to get an overhead view of the attractions in the complex and around the city. It later closed and was dismantled in 2009.
An Augustinian Priory
occupied the Trentham estate from the 11th century until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
. The property was sold in 1540 to James Leveson of Perton Hall, near Wolverhampton. The Leveson family occupied the property and Sir Richard Leveson
built a new house in 1634. The Leveson heiress Frances married Sir Thomas Gower Bt leading to the creation of the Leveson Gower family. Their son Sir William Leveson Gower built a new house on the site in 1690. Henry Holland
altered the house in 1775-78.
As for the former days of the last Trentham Hall built in the 1830s, William White wrote 1851: "Trentham Hall is the principal residence of the Most Noble George Granville Leveson Gower, Duke of Sutherland
, Marquess of Stafford, Earl Gower, Viscount Trentham, and Hereditary Sheriff of Sutherland. It is an elegant mansion, situated near the village in a park of 500 acres (2 km²). It has been entirely rebuilt during the last 14 years, and now has an elegant stone front and a lofty square tower. The late hall was erected about 120 years ago, after the model of Buckingham House, in St. James's Park
, but it was considerably altered and improved by the first Marquess of Stafford, from designs by Henry Holland
, who gave a new and imposing feature to the whole. The present mansion is on a larger and more magnificent plan and the gardens rank amongst the finest in England." (History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, Sheffield, 1851). The remodelling was also the work of Sir Charles Barry
. The complete Palace was later demolished in 1912 due to uncontrolled urban growth nearby.
There are plans to rebuild Trentham Hall as a five star hotel.
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Trentham, Staffordshire
Trentham is a suburb of Stoke-on-Trent, located to the south-west of the city centre and to the south of the neighbouring town of Newcastle-under-Lyme. Although the majority of Trentham is within the city limits, it is mostly separated from the main urban area by surrounding open space and the...
on the southern fringes of the city of Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The former house on the site, Trentham Hall, became one of many to be demolished in the 20th century when in 1912, its owner the 4th Duke of Sutherland
Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland
Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 4th Duke of Sutherland , styled Lord Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower until 1858, Earl Gower between 1858 and 1861 and Marquess of Stafford between 1861 and 1892, was a British peer and politician.-Background:Sutherland was the son of George...
razed it to the ground. However, the gardens and the park with its lake and woodlands have been preserved. One of the reasons for the demolition of the house was pollution of the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
, which flows through the grounds. The pollution causing pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
industry has long gone and there are now kingfisher
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
s in the grounds.
The gardens and park
Landscape architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions...
by Capability Brown
Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown , more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as "the last of the great English eighteenth-century artists to be accorded his due", and "England's greatest gardener". He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure...
from 1758 onwards, overlying an earlier formal design attributed to Charles Bridgeman
Charles Bridgeman
Charles Bridgeman was an English garden designer in the onset of the naturalistic landscape style. Although he was a key figure in the transition of English garden design from the Anglo-Dutch formality of patterned parterres and avenues to a freer style that incorporated formal, structural and...
. However, in the twentieth century Trentham Gardens was principally known for the surviving formal gardens laid out in the 1840s by Sir Charles Barry, who also created Italianate gardens at Harewood House
Harewood House
Harewood House is a country house located in Harewood , near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is a member of Treasure Houses of England, a marketing consortium for nine of the foremost stately homes in England...
and Cliveden
Cliveden
Cliveden is an Italianate mansion and estate at Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. Set on banks above the River Thames, its grounds slope down to the river. The site has been home to an Earl, two Dukes, a Prince of Wales and the Viscounts Astor....
.
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. The Ballroom also hosted degree ceremonies for North Staffordshire Polytechnic. Before the re-opening of the Trentham Estate many ideas were put forward, including the construction of a theme park, however this was quickly rejected by residents and the planning authority.
The Trentham estate is undergoing a major £120-million ($200m) redevelopment by St Modwen Properties plc as a leisure destination called "The Trentham Estate".
The project at Trentham includes restoration of the Italian gardens and woodlands, and creation of a garden centre. The aim is to avoid noisy theme park-like attractions, and instead to offer "authentic experiences" to older people and younger children. Recently a monkey forest, the first of its kind in England, has opened. Visitors can roam through the park where 140 Barbary Macaque
Barbary Macaque
The Barbary Macaque , or Common macaque, is a macaque with no tail. Found in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco with a small population, of unknown origin, in Gibraltar, the Barbary Macaque is one of the best-known Old World monkey species. Besides humans, they are the only primates that...
monkeys wander free in the woodlands. There are no fences in place to stop the monkeys from interacting with the visitors, although it is against park rules to touch the animals and wardens are on standby to ensure the safety of the visitors.
In December 2008 a Giant Observation Wheel was opened on site for tourists to get an overhead view of the attractions in the complex and around the city. It later closed and was dismantled in 2009.
Trentham Hall
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
occupied the Trentham estate from the 11th century until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
. The property was sold in 1540 to James Leveson of Perton Hall, near Wolverhampton. The Leveson family occupied the property and Sir Richard Leveson
Richard Leveson
Sir Richard Leveson was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1642. He supported the Royalist cause during the English Civil War....
built a new house in 1634. The Leveson heiress Frances married Sir Thomas Gower Bt leading to the creation of the Leveson Gower family. Their son Sir William Leveson Gower built a new house on the site in 1690. Henry Holland
Henry Holland (architect)
Henry Holland was an architect to the English nobility. Born in Fulham, London, his father also Henry ran a building firm and he built several of Capability Brown's buildings, although Henry would have learnt a lot from his father about the practicalities of construction it was under Brown that he...
altered the house in 1775-78.
As for the former days of the last Trentham Hall built in the 1830s, William White wrote 1851: "Trentham Hall is the principal residence of the Most Noble George Granville Leveson Gower, Duke of Sutherland
George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland
George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland KG , styled Viscount Trentham until 1803, Earl Gower between 1803 and 1833 and Marquess of Stafford in 1833, was a British peer....
, Marquess of Stafford, Earl Gower, Viscount Trentham, and Hereditary Sheriff of Sutherland. It is an elegant mansion, situated near the village in a park of 500 acres (2 km²). It has been entirely rebuilt during the last 14 years, and now has an elegant stone front and a lofty square tower. The late hall was erected about 120 years ago, after the model of Buckingham House, in St. James's Park
St. James's Park
St. James's Park is a 23 hectare park in the City of Westminster, central London - the oldest of the Royal Parks of London. The park lies at the southernmost tip of the St. James's area, which was named after a leper hospital dedicated to St. James the Less.- Geographical location :St. James's...
, but it was considerably altered and improved by the first Marquess of Stafford, from designs by Henry Holland
Henry Holland
Henry Holland may refer to:* Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter , Lancastrian leader during the Wars of the Roses* Henry Holland , English writer on witchcraft...
, who gave a new and imposing feature to the whole. The present mansion is on a larger and more magnificent plan and the gardens rank amongst the finest in England." (History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, Sheffield, 1851). The remodelling was also the work of Sir Charles Barry
Charles Barry
Sir Charles Barry FRS was an English architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsible for numerous other buildings and gardens.- Background and training :Born on 23 May 1795 in Bridge Street, Westminster...
. The complete Palace was later demolished in 1912 due to uncontrolled urban growth nearby.
There are plans to rebuild Trentham Hall as a five star hotel.
Further reading
- 1887: The Beauty of Trentham: an account of the topography & history of Trentham Gardens, with an intimate tour of Trentham Hall & its art. Reissued by Burslem Books, 2004.