Pleasure Grounds

Probably better known as the ‘playground’ of the garden for the family to enjoy.

One of the earliest features of the garden is the Maze which was on a very early plan of 1700 and is based on the same format as Hampton Court maze. Although it is deciduous, it was originally planted with Hornbeam but over a period of years more Beech has been added.

The first formal garden at Tatton was the area known as Charlotte's Lawn, designed by Lewis Wyatt to complement the Library furnishings of the Mansion in 1814.

The trend at the time was ‘Gardenesque’ in that the design consisted of an intricate flower garden containing many small beds which accommodated single plants of botanical interest of the time. This area has partially been restored.

The Topiary is located near here and was a feature originally introduced by the Romans and revived by the Victorians though it was much bigger than at present. Today it still retains the style of a typical Victorian garden - the central feature being a peacock.

The Italian garden at the front of the house was designed by Joseph Paxton and reflected the opulence of the period of the Italian ‘grand tour’ by the young gentlemen of the family.

Further gardens developed including the Rose garden which was laid out in 1913 for Lady Egerton, wife of Alan de Tatton and is both feminine and intimate; the Tower garden, which in contrast has a more masculine feel and is dominated by a tower which would once have been used to watch for sheep stealing on the parkland; and the Japanese garden inspired by a visit to the Anglo-Japanese Exhibition at the White City in London in 1920.

The pleasure gardens also contain massive planting of Rhododendron and Azalea which set the place ‘ablaze’ in Spring with their amazing colours.

Also on the west side of the garden, and not to be missed, is the Arboretum containing many rare conifers which were brought back from some of the more famous plant hunting expeditions in which the family were involved.

Other notable features include the Rose Garden Tea House; Broad Walk; The Choragic Monument which was a copy of the Temple of Lysicrates in Greece, and literally means “Chorus” as it was the meeting point for the choir practice of townspeople for a national choir festival; and the African Hut which was built during the war to remind Maurice Egerton of his estate in Njoro, Kenya which has now become the Egerton University.