Story Search Results

Bacon's 'Essay on gardens' # 56

Francis Bacon was born in 1561 and was 1st Viscount St Alban. He wrote his Essay on gardens in 1625, a year before his death of pneumonia. He was also Lord Chancellor of England under King James I and led the advancement of both natural philosophy and scientific method and his works remained influential even in the late stages of the Scientific Revolution.  The essays he wrote between, mainly, 1612 and 1625 were about anything from love and marriage to superstitions to gardens and any subject in between! Bacon's genius as a phrase-maker appears to great advantage in the later essays and the 'Oxford Dictionary of Quotations' includes no fewer than 91 quotations...

Meet the Neighbours - Trentham gardens #83

This neighbour was a little further afield to Hoar Cross Hall than the other houses, as it was in Stoke-on-Trent.  However, we often visited the gardens and I went to a few concerts there which were held in the Ballroom of the house. It was very similar to Alton Towers in that it had formal gardens with a large house and in later years was made into pleasure grounds, although not as grand as the rides at Alton towers! Originally the Trentham site was a priory but had been demolished during the dissolution of the monasteries in Henry XIII’s reign.  In 1599 the first hall on this estate was built on the priory ruins but later in 1633 a Richard Leveson replace...

Hoar Cross Hall - A bit of History #54

...de of the gardens were tennis courts and further into the woods were the greenhouses and a palm house; behind these were the walled kitchen gardens. Next to the kitchen garden was the stable block which was also south facing and built in a U-shape. This would have stabled many horses with living accommodation above for the grooms and stable boys. There was also a paddock behind this for exercising the horses. Various cottages were also built on the estate for the workers to live in so all in all it must have been quite an impressive set-up. The palm house and greenhouses   But tragedy was to strike; Hugo had had a horse riding accident some fourteen mont...

Meet the Neighbours - Alton Towers #82

...st formal gardens in Britain.  Several gardens were made including a rock garden, a Dutch garden and a water garden.  13,000 trees were planted all down the valley to the River Churnet and fountains and streams were created among the gardens that passed through various lakes and pools.  It really was, and still is, a beautiful place where you can get into that ‘back to nature’ spirit. The house stayed in the Talbot family for many years and when the 20th Earl of Shrewsbury inherited it during the 1890s he began the tradition of summer fetes at Alton.  The grounds had already been opened to the public to raise funds to refurbish the house but now people...

Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history! #14

...de of the gardens were tennis courts and further into the woods were the greenhouses and a palm house; behind these were the walled kitchen gardens.  Next to the kitchen garden was the stable block which was also south facing and built in a U-shape.  This would have stabled many horses with living accommodation above for the grooms and stable boys.  There was also a paddock behind this for exercising the horses.  Various cottages were also built on the estate for the workers to live in so all in all it must have been quite an impressive set-up. Gardner working on hedge Fountain with church in distance Lady Mary's garden But tr...

Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history #15

...de of the gardens were tennis courts and further into the woods were the greenhouses and a palm house; behind these were the walled kitchen gardens.  Next to the kitchen garden was the stable block which was also south facing and built in a U-shape.  This would have stabled many horses with living accommodation above for the grooms and stable boys.  There was also a paddock behind this for exercising the horses.  Various cottages were also built on the estate for the workers to live in so all in all it must have been quite an impressive set-up. But tragedy was to strike; Hugo had had a horse riding accident some fourteen months previously which had left him...