Walls to Former Kitchen Garden at Pool Park including Former Gardeners' Bothy Adjoining to S

Cadw's description

Location

Located at the western boundary of the community approximately 200m SW of Pool Park.

History

The kitchen garden and its associated gardeners' bothy were constructed as part of a large programme of rebuilding on the Pool Park estate commencing in 1826. The work was undertaken for the second Lord Bagot of Blithfield, Staffordshire, and included the rebuilding of the house to designs by the architect John Buckler, possibly in collaboration with Benjamin Gummow.

Exterior

Extensive kitchen garden walls enclosing a horse-shoe-shaped produce garden; laid out on a sloping site, open at the lower end. The walls are constructed of red brick in rat-trap bond, unusual for the context. They reach a maximum height of 4m and have a coping course of brown brick. Placed off-centre of the curved upper section (NW) and again further down on the NE side are deeply-recessed round-arched entrances retaining their original 6-panel pine doors. In each case the entrance section is advanced and is coursed normally; limestone ashlar imposts and surmounting square brick finials. Lower down on both of the long sides are opposing entrances, each formerly with coped, brick piers; these have been lost or replaced in C20 brick. The SW (L) side curves around to return westwards just below its central point; here, on its return, is an entrance with round arch, as before. The main wall continues its course and steps down at this point to a height of approximately 1.2m, in the centre of which is the western of the two opposing entrances. This entrance opens onto a smaller rectangular enclosure with walls of approximately 1.8m. This enclosure formerly contained glasshouses, a modern one of which remains.

At its southern-most corner, and sited at right-angles adjoining the main wall, is a former gardeners' bothy. This is a single-storey building of roughcast brick with slated roof, hipped to the L. A central brick chimney divides the block into two 2-bay reflected units, each with outer entrances with boarded doors; 6-pane early C20 windows, with a further, similar window to the L gable end, overlooking the main kitchen garden. The left-hand unit has a basement with stepped access at far L and a boarded door. Adjoining to the R, and continuously-roofed with the main block, is a 3-bay potting shed, open to the front, the roof supported on plain posts. This is currently ruinous.

Interior

The interior of the bothy was not inspected at the time of survey.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as a good and well-preserved sequence of kitchen garden walls, relating to, and contemporary with, the 1820s rebuilding works at Pool Park.