Summary
Parkland and gardens of Greatford Hall, constructed around 1610 on the site of a medieval manor house, developed in the early C17, C18, and early C20, with commercial watercress beds added around 1930.
Reasons for Designation
The parkland and gardens of Greatford Hall, constructed around 1610 on the site of a medieval manor house, developed in the early C17, C18, and early C20, with commercial watercress beds added around 1930, is registered at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* as a multi-layered evolved historic landscape which retains substantial evidence of different phases of activity and development from at least the medieval period to the present day, in the form of buildings, a developed water management system and planned landscape features;
* the Historic Environment Record has documented a number of multi-phased archaeological features in the parkland south of the hall, evident on aerial photography, which may represent the possible survival of prehistoric enclosures and trackway as cropmarks, and extensive medieval ridge and furrow as cropmarks and earthworks of adjoining blocks of parallel linear features;
* the late-C18 improvement of the landscape as a therapeutic landscape was carried out for Dr Francis Willis (1718-1807), a renowned physician who specialised in treating people with psychiatric illnesses, most famously King George III;
* the gardens were improved and extended in the early C20 by Major Cuthbert Fitzwilliams, a prolific garden ornament designer, whose English section of the Derry and Toms Roof Garden (now The Roof Gardens) in Kensington is registered at Grade II;
* for the key role the estate played in the provision of watercress as a vital and nutritious food source for the nation during the Second World War.
Design interest:
* the estate is distinguished by attractive entrances and key estate buildings, including an early-C16 aisled barn (listed at Grade II*), late-C17 stables (listed at Grade II), C18 stone bridge (listed at Grade II), C18 walled garden (not listed), and country house rebuilt in the early C20 (listed at Grade II);
* the views from the house are carefully considered, with parkland south of the hall discreetly separated from the hall by a road, and views framed by specimen, clump and perimeter belt planting;
* the early C20 improvements by Major Cuthbert Fitzwilliams enhance the design interest and experience of the historic landscape, with the addition of ornamental bridges, gardens in the south-west corner, and a pool and swimming pool north of the house.
Group value:
* it is of clear historic interest as the setting for the listed country house, rebuilt following a fire between 1925 and 1930 (listed at Grade II), and its associated early-C16 aisled barn (listed at Grade II*), late-C17 stables (listed at Grade II), C18 stone bridge (listed at Grade II), and C18 walled garden (not listed);
* the designed landscape also forms an important archaeological group with the nearby scheduled remains of multi-phased settlement sites south and south-east of Greatford, which contain documented evidence of Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman activity.
History
Greatford is cited in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ‘Greteford’ or ‘Griteford’, the name likely referring to the location of a gravel or grit ford (shallow crossing point) on the West Glen River. Greatford manor was recorded as being owned by Robert de Todeni, and comprised five and half carucates of land. Land in the parish was also owned by Gilbert de Gand and Godfrey Cambrai, and the parish contained two mills, 60 acres of meadow and 20 acres of woodland. The Church of St Thomas A Becket was constructed at Greatford in the C11, and was later altered and extended in the C13, C14 and C17, and restored around 1855 (listed at Grade I). The church was neighboured by a medieval manor house, which was replaced by a stone structure around 1610, now known as Greatford Hall.
Edmund Hall (1519-1592) was the younger son of a prosperous Grantham merchant, Francis Hall, who built Grantham House and was the Comptroller of Calais and a rich wool stapler in the reign of Henry VIII. Like his father, Edmund Hall was a servant to the Duke of Suffolk, a merchant of the staple and a Member of Parliament. In March 1540 Hall was recommended by the Duke of Suffolk to Cromwell for a grant of the manor of Greatford, which he already held on lease from the late abbey of Hyde at Winchester. Hall obtained the chief messuage of the Greatford manor in January 1541, and Greatford became his principal residence. He purchased further lands from the augmentations in 1543, and in 1545 he was granted in reversion the receiver-generalship of possessions in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland of various individuals attainted after the Lincolnshire Rising and Pilgrimage of Grace. A carved heraldic shield over the great fireplace of Greatford Hall, dated 1616, depicts a woolsack, the trade emblem of the Hall family. The aisled barn to the south-east of the manor was constructed in the early C16 (listed at Grade II*). It was probably during the early C17, when Greatford Hall was constructed, that the main approach to the hall was changed from north side of the hall to the south side, and the complex water management system was developed, diverting the course of the West Glen River around the front (south) of the hall.
The Halls sold the Manor of Greatford to Edward Browne in 1692, who built the stable block in 1698 (listed at Grade II), and his crest remains over the main door. On his death in 1713, the estate passed to his only son, Francis Browne, who over 38 years made many improvements and alterations to the gardens, including the construction of the red brick walls of the kitchen garden in 1733 (not listed). The estate passed to his sister’s son, who assumed the Browne name, and lived at Greatford, constructing stone cottages in the village, two of which bear his initials ‘T T B’ and the dates ‘1758’ and ‘1761’ (both listed at Grade II). The estate was sold to the Hon. Charles Compton Cavendish in 1808, who was created Baron Chesham in 1858, and left Greatford to his son.
Around 1780 the hall was taken on a long lease by the Reverend Dr Francis Willis (1718-1807), a physician who specialised in treating people with psychiatric illnesses, most famously King George III. At his rural infirmary, his patients were encouraged to perform manual work in and around the stables and fields of the Greatford estate. On visiting the estate in 1796, dramatist Frederick Reynolds remarked: ‘As the unprepared traveller approached the town, he was astonished to find almost all the surrounding ploughmen, gardeners, threshers, thatchers and other labourers attired in black coats, white waistcoats, black silk breaches and stockings, and the head of each bewigged, well powdered, neat and arranged. These were the doctor's patients with dress, neatness of person, and exercise being a principle feature of his admirable treatment system where health and cheerfulness conjoined to aid recovery of every person attached to that most valuable asylum.’ It is probable that the picturesque views to the south were improved in the late C18 as part of a therapeutic landscape, and the fine cedar of Lebanon south of the hall planted around this time. The infirmary was later moved to nearby Shillingthorpe Hall, which was built for Willis’ son John in 1833. The Willis family continued to occupy Greatford Hall until 1840, and it was then rented by a Captain Peacock and his family from 1848 until Major Cuthbert Fitzwilliams MC (1875-1954) purchased the property in 1919. The hall suffered a catastrophic fire in 1922 and was rebuilt over five years, with the Fitzwilliams family returning in 1930.
Major Fitzwilliams was a prolific sculptor of garden ornaments, and established the Greatford Garden Company around 1920, crafting his sculptures in the service yards and buildings of Greatford Hall. He exhibited at many prominent garden shows throughout the 1930s, including the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower and Autumn Shows, and at Southport. His prolific and varied catalogue of work included garden seats, well heads, sun dials, garden tables, bird feeders and pergolas, all carved by hand. Promotional leaflets and photographs document the purchase of the sculptor’s work for grand houses and establishments in the United Kingdom and America, including the English section of the Derry and Toms Roof Garden (now The Roof Gardens) in Kensington (registered at Grade II). The gardens of Greatford Hall abound with sculptural ornaments and bridges by Major Fitzwilliams, and we know these were photographed for his portfolio of work (held at Greatford Hall). Elsewhere in the village the public house bears a carved stone sign by the garden sculptor on its west elevation facing Greatford Hall. In addition, a number of garden benches and crown-shaped planters are dispersed throughout the village, most likely sculpted in 1937 to celebrate the coronation of King George VI, including those in the gardens of nos.1 and 2 Main Street (together listed at Grade II).
The Greatford Watercress Company was established at Greatford Hall in 1930, utilising natural artesian springs which draw their water from chalk strata 30m below ground, and flow at a consistent temperature, facilitating the growth of watercress all year round. The water rose through constructed wells and into the penstock at the top or west end of the watercress beds. The gentle eastwards slope of the beds allowed the water to flow through the bed before the temperature dropped too severely, and also helped deter the growth of dangerous larvae. To protect the watercress from frost, long cylindrical rollers were installed to train the cress to lie down in the water until harvested. The artesian springs also provided water to the decorative Peter Pan pool and rockery stream to the south of the watercress beds. The Greatford Watercress Company flourished throughout the Second World War, providing a vital and nutritious food source for the nation during the wartime effort. Commercial growth of cress continued at Greatford until 1970 when the artesian water supply was required for the development of Peterborough new town and industry, and the Greatford Cut was introduced across the parkland south of the hall.
Details
Parkland and gardens of Greatford Hall, constructed around 1610 on the site of a medieval manor house, developed in the early C17, C18, and early C20, with commercial watercress beds added around 1930.
LOCATION, SETTING, LANDFORM, BOUNDARIES AND AREA
The village of Greatford is located approximately 4 miles north-east of Stamford, and four miles north-west of Market Deeping. The landform is relatively flat, as is typical of south Lincolnshire, gently rising in elevation north-west of the village. The village settlement mainly lies north and south of Main Street, which runs on an east-west axis. At the west end of the village and north of Main Street, an irregularly-shaped rectangular-plan island is bounded on all four sides by the West Glen River. Flowing from the west, the river divides at the south-west corner of the island, flowing north and east around the west and north sides of the island, and east and north along the south and east sides of the island, before both courses converge at the north-east corner and flow north-east through Greatford village. The island contains the medieval parish church of St Thomas A Becket in its north-east corner (listed at Grade I), Greatford Hall (Grade II) and its former barn (Grade II*) and stables (Grade II) at its centre, and formal gardens south, west and north of the hall. The south course of the river is canalised, and runs roughly parallel with Main Street, having a narrow section of planting, clipped box hedging, and a water-filled drain between the river and road. Along the line of the hedge, a stone wall was constructed south of the hall, measuring approximately 100m in length, and is stepped in front of the hall for privacy. To the west of the island, commercial watercress beds were added around 1930, and are bounded to the east, south and west by the West Glen River, and to the north by a drain which runs southwest to northeast. The southwest corner has a sinuous stone boundary wall, with decorative dogtooth ornament to the coping, and piers with foliated Prince of Wales capitals. The current gardens, comprising the formal gardens of the hall and the former watercress beds, measure approximately 12 hectares in total. South of the hall and Main Street is a large area of parkland measuring approximately 18 hectares reaching south toward Barholm.
ENTRANCES AND APPROACHES
The island on which Greatford Hall and the parish church stand, is accessed near its south-east corner from Main Street by way of a small late C18 stone bridge (listed at Grade II). From the bridge, the road splits in two to turn immediately west past an early-C16 aisled barn (Grade II*) to the front of Greatford Hall, or continues north to the parish church where it turns west to provide access to the service yards of the hall, to the north of the late-C17 stables (Grade II). The main entrance south of the C16 barn has C20 metal gates flanked by square-plan gate piers with pyramidal caps, rusticated to the exterior, and ashlar stone walls which extend south to meet the river. Within the gates, a brick-lined slipway provides access to the river south-east of the hall. South-west of the hall, two entrances from Main Street were introduced in the mid-C20: a pedestrian gated entrance at the south-west corner of the formal gardens, enlarged as a vehicular entrance around 2000; and a vehicular entrance at the south-west corner of the former watercress beds. Each of these two entrances has a small flat concrete bridge spanning the water-filled ditch, with stone staddle bollards, square-plan rusticated-stone gate piers, and metal gates. Northeast of the hall and river, a service route now known as Greatford Gardens was introduced in the mid-C20 running east-west, providing access from Carlby Road to the north-east corner of the former watercress beds.
PRINCIPAL BUILDING
Greatford Hall was constructed around 1610, likely replacing an earlier manor house. The hall was destroyed by fire in 1922, and was substantially rebuilt between 1925 and 1930, with restoration works led by architects Darcy Braddell FRIBA and Humphry Deane. The hall was listed at Grade II in 1952.
ORNAMENTAL GARDENS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS
The gardens must be considered in two categories: the formal gardens of the hall within the island; and the gardens to the west of the island and south of the watercress beds. On the island, the hall overlooks fine lawns to the river to the south and west, with mature trees including a large Cedrus Libani or cedar of Lebanon to the south-west of the hall, believed to have been planted in the late C18. From the cedar a path leads south-west, with a rectangular-plan rose garden to the north-west side of the path with a crazy-paved border. Northwest of the hall is a former kitchen garden, constructed in 1733, now containing a tennis court and pool. From the southwest corner of the kitchen garden, a rectangular-plan rose garden extends southwest, with a central wrought-iron sculpture on a stone capital flanked by three rectangular-plan rose beds either side, and crazy-paved paths. North of the hall, a number of features were introduced between 1925 and 1930: the courtyard formed by the wings of the building is paved and contains a central pool with a shouldered surround, featuring the carved kneeling figure of a nude woman on its south side; a central crazy-paved path leads north through a lawn to a swimming pool, which was cut into the north stretch of the river, and is surrounded by silver birch and willow trees. The island is connected to the land to the south, west and north, and three smaller islands, by a series of triangular and flat bridges. These include five bridges spanning the south stretch of river and connecting two islands, one spanning the west stretch, one connecting a small island in the north-west corner, and five spanning the water channels north of the hall. Erected around 1930 to the designs of the owner Major Cuthbert Fitzwilliams, the names of the bridges include the ‘Bridge of Sighs’ ‘Bridge of Mottoes’, ‘Clixby’s Bridge’ (after Fitzwilliams’ son Clixby), and ‘Granny’s Bridge’.
South-west of the island and to the south of the watercress beds are a series of ornamental gardens designed by and including sculptural ornament by Major Fitzwilliams. At the east end is a small lawn with spade-ended crazy-paved paths, from which crazy-paved paths lead west toward a lavender garden and south-west through a rockery and series of steps to a Peter Pan pool, which features a bronze figure at its centre. The rectangular-plan lavender garden is a multi-stepped formal garden with square, rectangular and circular beds of planting along the north half, the central bed of which features a large crown-shaped planter carved by Major Fitzwilliams (most likely in 1937 to celebrate the coronation of King George VI). The garden is bounded and divided by coursed stone walls, with piers bearing foliated Prince of Wales capitals. The southeast side of the lavender garden features a sunken rectangular-plan pool with a highly-carved south wall, featuring the busts of figures within an ogee-arched arcade. The summer house on the southwest side is a small rectangular-plan building with a red-clay pantile roof, gabled to the north and south, with rubble stone walls, open to the garden to the north. From the west side of the lavender garden, a crazy-paved path leads west, with a rectangular-plan lawn to the north and south. Throughout the ornamental gardens and pleasure grounds are numerous examples of ornamental sculpture by Major Fitzwilliams and the Greatford Garden Company, including garden benches, garden settees, tables, well heads, columns, and bird feeders, to name but a few.
KITCHEN GARDEN AND OTHER PRODUCTIVE GARDEN AREAS
To the north-west of the hall is a rectangular-plan kitchen garden, constructed in 1733 and measuring approximately 0.3 acres in area (not listed). The red brick walls are laid in English bond, with shallow buttresses and stone coping; the north wall was rebuilt in the late C20 or early C21, and the south wall appears to have been demolished in the C20. Historic photographs and mapping indicate the former presence of glasshouses in the centre of the kitchen garden, however these were removed and replaced by a tennis court and swimming pool in the late C20 or early C21. A single-storey building in the south-west corner of the kitchen garden was either remodelled or rebuilt around 1930, with a crow-stepped east gable and decorative hood mouldings; the south elevation of the building was entirely glazed in the late C20 or early C21. West of the island, a pocket of land is bounded by the West Glen River to the east, south and west, and a drain to the north, and was adapted for use as commercial watercress beds around 1930. The beds were laid out over approximately 15 acres, running on a southwest to northeast axis, with water being drawn up from natural artesian springs to a penstock at the west end, from where it gently flowed through the bed to the channel at the east end. The artesian springs also provided water to the decorative Peter Pan pool and rockery stream to the south of the watercress beds.
PARKLAND
South of Main Street, a large area of parkland, now pasture, stretches south toward Barholm and measures approximately 18 hectares in area. The parkland was recorded on the six-inch Ordnance Survey map published in 1887, and it retains significant and mature park trees, including singleton lime trees, horse chestnut and conifer grove. Aerial photography shows the possible survival of prehistoric enclosures and trackway as cropmarks, and extensive medieval ridge and furrow as cropmarks and earthworks of adjoining blocks of parallel linear features. The Greatford Cut was introduced diagonally across the parkland in the 1970s to facilitate waterwork improvements for the development of Peterborough new town and industry.
OTHER BUILDINGS
Greatford Hall and its gardens stand on an island, accessed from Main Street by a late C18 stone bridge (listed at Grade II). Also on this island and to the north-east of Greatford Hall stands the parish church of St Thomas A Becket, built in the CII, with alterations in the early and late C13, C14, C17, and restored around 1854 (listed at Grade I). To the east of Greatford Hall is an L-plan complex of buildings, comprising an early-C16 aisled barn, altered in the C20 (listed at Grade II*), and stables of Greatford Hall, constructed in 1698, and altered and extended in the C20 (listed at Grade II). A small number of single-storey service buildings, built in the early- to mid-C20, are dotted around the west and north sides of the site (not listed).
