Lyme Park
Lyme Park | ||
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OS grid reference SJ 964 823 | | |
Built | 16th century, 1720s | |
Architect | Giacomo Leoni Lewis Wyatt | |
Architectural style(s) | Elizabethan, Palladian, Baroque | |
Listed Building – Grade I | ||
Designated | 17 November 1983 | |
Reference no. | 1231685 | |
Lyme Park is a large
The estate was granted to Sir Thomas Danyers in 1346 and passed to the Leghs of Lyme by marriage in 1388. It remained in the possession of the Legh family until 1946 when it was given to the National Trust. The house dates from the latter part of the 16th century. Modifications were made to it in the 1720s by Giacomo Leoni, who retained some of the Elizabethan features and added others, particularly the courtyard and the south range. It is difficult to classify Leoni's work at Lyme, as it contains elements of both Palladian and Baroque styles.[a] Further modifications were made by Lewis Wyatt in the 19th century, especially to the interior. Formal gardens were created and developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The house, gardens and park have been used as locations for filming and they are open to the public. The Lyme Caxton Missal, an early printed book by William Caxton, is on display in the Library.
History
The land now occupied by Lyme Park was granted to Piers Legh and his wife Margaret D'anyers, by
When in 1415
The first record of a house on the site is in a
House
Exterior
The house is the largest in Cheshire, measuring overall 190 feet (58 m) by 130 feet (40 m) round a courtyard plan. The older part is built in coursed, squared buff sandstone rubble with sandstone dressings; the later work is in ashlar sandstone. The whole house has a roof of Welsh slates. The symmetrical north face is of 15 bays in three storeys; its central bay consists of a slightly protruding gateway. The arched doorway in this bay has Doric columns with a niche on each side. Above the doorway are three more Doric columns with a pediment, and above this are three further columns. Over all this are four further columns with an open pediment bearing an image of Minerva. The architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner referred to this gateway as "the craziest Elizabethan frontispiece".[15] The endmost three bays on each side project slightly forwards. The ground floors of the three outer bays on each side are rusticated, and their upper storeys are divided by large Composite pilasters.[3] The west front is also in three storeys, with nine bays, the outer two bays on each side projecting forward. The ground floor is rusticated and the upper floors are smooth.[2]
The symmetrical 15-bay three-storey south front overlooking the lake is the work of Leoni.
Interior
The Entrance Hall, which is in the east range, was remodelled by Leoni. It is asymmetrical and contains giant pilasters and a screen of three fluted Ionic columns. The doorway to the courtyard has an open pediment. A hinged picture can be swung out from the wall to reveal a
To the north of the Entrance Hall are the two principal Elizabethan rooms, the Drawing Room and the Stag Parlour. The Drawing Room is panelled with intersecting arches above which is a
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Entrance hall
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Tapestries in entrance hall
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Drawing room fireplace
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The Long Gallery
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The Saloon
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The Dining Room
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The Chapel
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The Bright Gallery
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The Yellow Bedroom
Lyme Caxton Missal
This
Grounds
The house is surrounded by formal gardens of 6 hectares (15 acres) in a deer park of about 550 hectares (1,359 acres) which are listed at Grade II* in the
In the gardens and deer park are a number of structures.Gardens
To the west of the house is the former mill pond. From the south side a lawn slopes down to another pond beyond which is a small ravine with a stone bridge, this area being known as Killtime. To the west of the lawn is the sunken Dutch Garden, which was created by William Legh. It consists of formal flower beds with a central fountain. To the west, south and east of the orangery are further formal flower gardens, including rose gardens.[11]
Deer park
The park was enclosed in the 14th century by Piers Legh I. In the 17th century Richard Legh planted avenues of sycamore and lime trees. Richard's son, Peter Legh XII carried out more extensive tree-planting in the park, giving it its current appearance.[11] Red deer descended from the original deer present when the park was enclosed graze in the grounds, as do Highland cattle. Formerly an unusual breed of wild white cattle with red ears grazed in the park but they became extinct in 1884.[26] Sheep also graze in the park.[13] The Gritstone Trail and the Peak District Boundary Walk long-distance footpaths both cross the park.[27][28]
Structures
The most obvious structure in the park, other than the house, is a tower called the Cage which stands on a hill to the east of the approach road to the house (53°20′40″N 2°03′07″W / 53.34453°N 2.05189°W). It was originally a hunting lodge and was later used as a park-keeper's cottage and as a lock-up for prisoners. The first structure on the site was built about 1580; this was taken down and rebuilt in 1737, possibly to a design by Leoni for Peter Legh X. The tower is built in buff sandstone
Immediately to the northeast of the house is the Orangery which was designed in 1862 by Alfred Darbyshire.[2] The Orangery is joined to the house by a covered passage known as the Dark Passage. This was designed by Wyatt for Sir Thomas Legh in 1815 and is a Grade II listed building.[31] Further from the house, to the northeast of the orangery, are the stables (53°20′21″N 2°03′10″W / 53.33912°N 2.05283°W). These are dated 1863 and were also designed by Darbyshire. They are built in sandstone on a courtyard plan and are listed at Grade II.[32] Other structures in the grounds listed at Grade II are the Pheasant House dating from about 1870,[33] an Italian white marble wellhead in the centre of the courtyard of the house dating from the 18th century and probably brought to the house from Venice in about 1900,[34] sandstone kennels in an H-plan dating from around 1870,[35] a pair of gardener's cottages dated 1871,[36] terrace revetment walls to the west of the house containing some 17th-century masonry with later repairs,[37] the lodge, gate piers and gates on Lyme Park Drive,[38] the forward gatepiers to Lyme Park Drive, dating from the late 17th century and moved to their present position about 1860,[39] the gate piers in Red Lane,[40] and the gate piers, gates and railings to the north of the north front of the house.[41]
Preservation
Lyme Park is owned and administered by the National Trust. The house, garden and park are open to the public at advertised hours.[42] An entrance fee to the house, garden and park is payable by non-members of the National Trust.[43] In the grounds are shops, a refreshment kiosk, a coffee shop and a restaurant.[44] The Lyme Caxton Missal is on display in the saloon. Events are held in the park.[45] The Bowmen of Lyme use the park for archery.[46]
In August 2019, the park was hit by severe flooding and was evacuated. Though staff attempted to rescue antiques and collectables, a large section of the garden was washed away.[47]
Film location
Lyme Park and its hall have been used in several films and television programmes. The exterior of the hall was used as
See also
Notes
- ^ The house is frequently described as being Palladian in style, but not all experts agree that it is truly Palladian. Referring to the south front, the author of Heritage Gateway says "For a garden front it is magnificent but more Baroque than Palladian" and makes no other reference to Palladian style. Nikolaus Pevsner said "But his [Leoni's] great south front is not a Palladian front" [4] and "Leoni was more original at Lyme Park than one might have at first sight have realized". Merlin Waterson, the author of the official guide to the property, says "The dramatic use of giant pilasters on the South Front was far too close to the English Baroque tradition..." and "...he [Leoni] never subscribed to Lord Burlington's highly selective and academic Palladianism".[5]
- ^ Gardom worked under the Huguenot ironsmith Jean Tijou at Chatsworth House and provided garden gates at Castle Howard.[19]
- ^ The family tradition that the carvings are by Gibbons, the evidence for this, and their possible rearrangement are discussed by Waterson.[22]
References
- ^ The Peak District: Dark Peak area. Outdoor Leisure map 1, Ordnance Survey
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Hartwell et al. 2011, pp. 440–446.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Historic England, "Lyme Park, Lyme Handley (1231685)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 August 2012
- ^ Pevsner & Hubbard 2003, p. 260.
- ^ a b Waterson 1973, p. 9.
- ^ Waterson 1973, p. 5.
- ^ A brief history of the Mastiff, Mastiff Association, archived from the original on 28 December 2008, retrieved 5 August 2012
- ^ Mastiff History, Rockport Mastiffs, retrieved 5 August 2012
- ^ a b Lyme Park, The Heritage Trail, archived from the original on 28 August 2008, retrieved 30 October 2008
- ^ a b Waterson 1973, p. 11.
- ^ a b c d e Groves 2004, pp. 50–57.
- OCLC 297799885.
- ^ a b Bilsborough 1983, pp. 123–124.
- ^ Littlejohn 1997, p. 75.
- ^ Pevsner & Hubbard 2003, p. 259.
- doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/16474. Retrieved 5 August 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.) ((subscription or UK public library membershiprequired))
- ^ Waterson 1973, p. 10.
- ^ Beard 1966, p. 40.
- ^ Beard 1966, p. 46.
- ^ Waterson 1973, pp. 12–13.
- ^ Waterson 1973, p. 4.
- ^ a b Waterson 1973, p. 17.
- Heritage Lottery Fund, 24 July 2009, archived from the originalon 27 September 2011, retrieved 23 January 2010
- ^ "U.K. Database of Historic Parks and Gardens: Lyme Park". Parks & Gardens Data Services. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
- ^ Historic England, "Lyme Park (1000642)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 5 August 2012
- ^ Lyme Park – Disley, Cheshire (NT), MicroArts, retrieved 30 October 2008
- ^ OL24 White Peak area (Map). 1:25000. Outdoor Leisure. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ISBN 978-1909461536.
- ^ Historic England, "The Cage, Lyme Handley (1277283)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "The Lantern, Lyme Handley (1277282)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "The Dark Passage, joining the Orangery to Lyme Park, Lyme Handley (1277338)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "The Stables at Lyme Park, Lyme Handley (1232013)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "The Pheasant House at Lyme Park, Lyme Handley (1277275)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Wellhead at centre of Lyme Park's courtyard, Lyme Handley (1231916)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "The Kennels in Lyme Park, Lyme Handley (1277269)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Pair of Gardener's Cottages at Lyme Park, Lyme Handley (1231931)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Terrace revetment walls, up to 50 metres to the west of Lyme Park, Lyme Handley (1277276)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Lodge and gatepiers and gates on Lyme Park Drive, Disley (1231350)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Forward gate piers to Lyme Park Drive, Disley (1231348)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Gate piers to Lyme Park, Disley (1277454)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 August 2012
- ^ Historic England, "Gate piers, gates and railings, 48 metres north of north front Of Lyme Park, Lyme Handley (1277459)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 August 2012
- National Trust, retrieved 5 August 2012
- National Trust, retrieved 2 April 2021
- National Trust, retrieved 5 August 2012
- National Trust, retrieved 5 August 2012
- ^ Who are we?, The Bowmen of Lyme, archived from the original on 1 July 2014, retrieved 15 June 2014
- ^ "Lyme Park evacuated after the 600-year-old stately home hit by "devastating" flooding". Manchester Evening News. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- Internet Movie Database, retrieved 5 August 2012
- National Trust, archived from the originalon 17 August 2012, retrieved 5 August 2012
- ^ "Step Back in Time in Hayfield". Derbyshire Times. 8 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
Bibliography
- Beard, Geoffrey (1966), Georgian Craftsmen and Their Work, Country Life
- Bilsborough, Norman (1983), The Treasures of Cheshire, Manchester: North West Civic Trust, ISBN 0-901347-35-3
- Groves, Linden (2004), Historic Parks & Gardens of Cheshire, Ashbourne: Landmark, ISBN 1-84306-124-4
- Hartwell, Claire; Hyde, Matthew; ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6
- Littlejohn, David (1997), The Fate of the English Country House, ISBN 978-0-19-508876-2
- Pevsner, Nikolaus; Hubbard, Edward (2003) [1971], Cheshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: ISBN 0-300-09588-0
- Waterson, Merlin (1973), Lyme Park, National Trust
Further reading
- Newton, Lady (1917), The House of Lyme: From Its Foundation to the End of the Eighteenth Century, New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons
- Newton, Lady (1925), Lyme Letters 1660–1760, London: William Heinemann
- Rothwell, James (1998), Lyme Park. National Trust.
External links
- List of paintings on view at Lyme Park
- Lyme Park – official site at National Trust
- Lyme Park as Pemberley in Pride and Prejudice
- Lyme Park – a Gardens Guide review
- 360° view of the south front of the hall
- Lyme Park (Discovercheshire website)
- Information about the stained glass from the Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi (CVMA) of Great Britain
- Aerial view of the house
- Aerial view of the gardens