About the society

NANTWICH Walled Garden Society was launched in June 2004. It grew from a campaign to conserve the Elizabethan garden, set up by a group of Nantwich residents because they wished to save the site - which they regard as one of important historical interest - from a proposed development for apartment buildings. Why is the garden important?

   The Old Walled Garden was once part of the gardens of Townsend House, built in Welsh Row in 1580 by the Wilbraham family - the most significant family of benefactors in Nantwich at that period. They lived in the house until 1780.

  The family is mentioned in Hall’s History of Nantwich and played a large part in the development of the town and in helping its poor. King James I stayed in Townsend House in 1617.

   The garden is outlined in Hall’s history and all the materials used in the making of the garden are extensively listed in the Wilbraham archives which are at Rode Hall in Congleton, the present home of Sir Richard and Lady Ann Baker-Wilbraham.

   The Old Walled Garden consists of almost one acre of land surrounded by a wall, which is listed as Grade Two by English Heritage. The garden is situated behind the Old Police House off Welsh Row - although there is no access through that part of the street. It can, however, be reached via Red Lion Lane or King’s Lane. These old Nantwich lanes are about 400 yards from the centre of the South Cheshire floral and market town.

   Most of the wall is still intact but is in urgent need of restoration. There are three recesses in one wall, believed to be ancient bee boles where wicker bee hives were installed, and part of one gateway, which collapsed two years ago, is still on site. (It was later suggested that the recesses were NOT bee boles).

   A plan to build two blocks of apartments on this historic garden was refused by the Development Control Panel of Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council. We were delighted, as a valuable piece of the town's history could have vanished for ever underneath a modern development. But that delight crumbled when the original developers sold the site to a development company who submitted a new proposal to develop the garden. (See this page for the latest news).

    Nantwich Walled Garden Society believes that any proposed development of housing on this small piece of land would be detrimental to the town, which has already lost many of its important historical buildings and sights to speculators and is at present being overwhelmed by development.

   In view of the significance of the important archaeological findings of Roman remains found on Kingsley Fields, next to the garden, we believe that the Old Walled Garden itself should also be the subject of an archaeological survey. Who knows what important artefacts would be discovered. With the departure of the archaeologists (after the removal of historic artefacts) Kingsley Fields became a large housing development.

   It is the aim of the campaign group to save and restore this garden and the surrounding wall for the people of Nantwich and as a tourist attraction. This would bring further trade to the town. We aim to restore the site to an Elizabethan garden with many of the features which were there originally, and to ensure its maintenance for future generations to enjoy.

   We understand that it is the responsibility of the developers of Kingsley Fields to restore and reinstate the wall. We would like an input into the way in which this is undertaken with the help of local garden experts, English Heritage and the Garden History Society.

   We are prepared to make every effort to raise the finance necessary to build and maintain the garden as an Elizabethan sensory garden suitable for the disabled and for all to enjoy. This should be a project for the local community and by the local community but with expert advice.

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