Description:
Tatton Hall, built for the Egerton family between 1774 and 1818, includes a formal Italian Garden, a Pinetum, a Japanese Garden, a Rose Garden , extensive borders and a very impressive array of glasshouses attached to three walled kitchen gardens. The glasshouses were built by the Egertons to show off their plant collections, imported from Europe and other parts of the world, and the three most significant are the Conservatory, the Fernery and the Stove House. The Conservatory, the largest garden building at Tatton, was designed by Lewis Wyatt in 1818 in a chaste classical style. During the late 19th century the roof was altered and raised to be fully glazed to allow in more light and by 1990 this roof was collapsing. As the evidence of the building was clear and because all the original drawings existed at Tatton it was decided that a full restoration could be undertaken. The original shapes of the planting beds were discovered and the plants now used are all those known to have been at Tatton from the planting book of Thomas Edgerley, the Head Gardener at Tatton during the 1820s and 1830s. Near the Conservatory is the great Fernery, designed by Joseph Paxton and altered in the late 19th century when the roof was raised to contain the larger types of fern . This building has been completely re-roofed and repainted. The Stove House, a small link building, lies between the Fernery and the Conservatory. From a photograph, the late 19th century roof has been put back, replacing a modern aluminium structure. The building is now functional, displaying hothouse plants in a Victorian manner. The restoration of the three buildings was undertaken by Cheshire County Council and The National Trust jointly between 1992 and 1994 , with the help of English Heritage and the National Gardens Scheme.