Monument Type(s):

• FORMAL GARDEN (Mid 19th century to Late 19th century - 1870 AD? to 1899 AD)
• PARK (Mid 19th century to Late 19th century - 1870 AD? to 1899 AD)

Summary

A moated 17th century manor house with formal topiary gardens in 17th century style and a small park, both created c 1900. The site is protected as a Grade II EH Registered Park or Garden.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA8349 - 2009 Conservation Management Plan for Ludstone Hall Park by Shropshire Council, HET
• ESA8749 - 2018 DBA of land at Ludstone Hall, Shropshire by Richard K Morriss (Ref: 18/04732/FUL)

Description

Ludstone Hall is a splendid example of a Carolean mansion, built within an existing moat for the Whitmores c.1607. The house was well restored and its grounds improved by John Round Cartwright who purchased it in 1870 and lived there until his death in 1910. South of the Hall he made the garden and the large lake. He moved the entrance drive from the east to the south (thereby covering part of the moat) and built a new entrance lodge. On the east a rectangular area was enclosed by hedges and a low stone wall. Half that area was given over to a knot garden of clipped box in playing card motifs with other beds (again enclosed by hedges) for bedding plants. In all there are six beds in groups of four, each arranged around a central, spirally clipped box tree. Also to the east is a bronze statue of Mercury. On the north is a pergola.
A red brick summerhouse may have been added by Mr. and Mrs. Rollason who owned the Hall 1939-70. (List of Historic Buildings: Bridgnorth Rural (1974), 125-6; F. Leach, The County Seats of Shropshire (1891), 175-7; Country Life 111 (1952), 92-5, 154-7, 222-5; 2 Jan. 1986, 12-14) <1>

Ludstone Hall (Listed Grade I: 0823/23/46; 0823/24/46) was built within an existing rectangular moated site for John Whitmore c. 1607. It is an elaborate and tall brick house with stone details, the south, entrance, front having curvilinear gables and a recessed central section with a projecting semi-circular bay at the middle (Country Life 11 Jan. 1952). Of the layout of the grounds in the 17th and 18th centuries little has been discovered, although a court case of 1735 concerning the water supply to the moat does reveal its role as a fishpond, the loss from it being claimed of 1,000 carp, 1,000 tench and 1,000 perch (Shrops. R.O. 330/12). ->

-> In 1872-3 (S.R.O. 1496/341, 343, 359) the house was purchased by Joseph Round Cartwright (d. 1910), a recently widowed Sedgley fire-brick manufacturer (W. Mate, Shropshire Historical. Biographical. Descriptive (1906), 120), who embarked upon a major, and sympathetic, programme of restoration and improvement at Ludstone. His architect was Robert Griffiths of Stafford, and the contractors George and Frederick Higham (Shrops. R.O. 1496/359). With the exception of the house, which he restored, and the moat, most of what there is to see today was either created or substantially altered by Cartwright. The gardens are Registered Grade II* (G56). The main approach to the house is from the south, and in the field immediately in front of the main gates he created a new fishpond with a picturesque island. New gates and flanking walls were provided (Listed Grade II: 0823/23/48; 0823/24/48), with a brick and stone lodge in the Jacobean style (Listed Grade II: 0823/24/47) on the east side. From these gates the house was approached along a broad and straight gravel drive flanked by clipped yews which confined the visitor's view to the main south front of the house, before which a forecourt was created, carried on rustic brick arches (probably adapting a bridge shown in a view of 1807: Shrews. Local Studies Lbr., uncatalogued) over the moat. In the forecourt in the later 20th century was a statue of Mercury. Within the moat east of the house is a formal lawn with flower beds around its edge and in its south-east corner a small brick and tile summerhouse of 1939 x 1970 (Country Life, 2 Jan. 1986, 13). In 1910 a conservatory had lain along the north wall of the lawn (Shrops. R.O. 1391/1). ->

-> Probably of the 1870s is a brick bridge with low stone parapet across the east arm of the moat, here lined with ashlar blocks. That bridge gives access out onto a lawn, walled on the west, at the north end of which stood a peach house (Shrops. R.O. 1496/343; inf from Mr. Fergusson), no longer present in 1994 when a pergola occupied the site. Beyond the pergola, and surrounding the pond which is formed by a northward extension (present in 1872: Shrops. R.O. 1496/341) of the north arm of the moat, is a wild garden, developed since the early 1970s by Mr. Fergusson, who purchased the house at that time. The wild garden takes the form of woodland containing a number of exotics (many planted by Mr. Fergusson) as well as a pair of very old sweet chestnuts. ->

-> Outside the north-east section of the moat are service buildings including a coach house range, mostly of the 1870s and in a style sympathetic to the house. To the east these give on to the public road, and to the west, via a brick bridge flanked on the inner edge of the moat with low stone lodges with pyramidal roofs, to the rear of the house. Those lodges, along with the bridge abutments, may represent the sole surviving medieval fabric at Ludstone, and may be the lower portion of a stone gatehouse mentioned in 1410 (Country Life, 11 Jan. 1952, 92-4). South of the service buildings, and abutting the east arm of the moat, is a walled kitchen garden, internally with low box hedging and along its northern wall a glass house. South of that garden is a further walled garden, largely given over to fruit trees, and east of it are further service buildings and a clocktower. ->

-> East of the main drive to the house, and concealed by its tall yew hedge, is a knot garden of clipped box in playing card motifs with other beds (again enclosed with box hedges) for bedding plants. In all there are six beds in groups of four, each arranged around a central, spirally clipped box tree. In the middle of that garden is a sun dial. Map evidence shows the knot garden to have been laid out 1902 x 1926 (Cf. O.S. 25", LlX.7 (1902, 1926); whether Cartwright, or a later owner, was the creator is unknown. ->

-> There are full accounts of Ludstone in Country Life 11, 18 and 25 Jan. 1952 (pp. 92-5,154-7, and 222-5) and 2 Jan. 1986, 12-14. <2>

A new Register Description was issued in 2004. <4>

Photographed during aerial survey in 2008. <5><6>

A conservation management plan was prepared in July 2009, covering those parts of the historic park around Ludstone Hall which are subject to a Higher Level Stewardship Agreement. Includes a history of the park, an overview of the survival of the park, statement of significance and management plan. <7>

A heritage assessment was prepared in 2018 in association with proposed lodges at the southern extent of the parkland. This includes discussion of the development of the parkland, together with cartographic regression. <8>

<01> Stamper Paul A, 1993, A Survey of Historic Parks and Gardens in Shropshire, p68-69 (Field survey report). SSA10241.

<02> Stamper Paul A, 1996, Historic Parks and Gardens in Shropshire - A Compendium of Site Reports Compiled 1994 - 1997, Site Reports for Historic Environment Team (Field survey report). SSA10287.

<03> English Heritage, 1986, Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest (original 1986 Register), G56, then GD2132 (Register of Parks and Gardens). SSA10291.

<04> English Heritage, 2004, Register of Parks and Gardens of special historic interest - Provisional Version of the new Edition, GD2132 (Register of Parks and Gardens). SSA22259.

<05> Shropshire Council, 2008-Feb-27, SA0803_058 to SA0803_061 (4 photos) Flight: 08_SA_03 (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA26989.

<06> Shropshire Council, 2008-Feb-27, SA0803_011 (1 photo) Flight: 08_SA_03 (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA25554.

<07> Wigley A, 2009, Conservation Management Plan for…GD2132 - Ludstone Hall, Claverley, Shropshire (Management report). SSA29665.

<08> Morriss Richard K, 2018, Land at Ludstone Hall, Shropshire: a heritage impact assessment on proposed lodges (Deskbased survey report). SSA30498.

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.