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Blodwell Hall

Introduction

The current Blodwell Hall was the service block of a much larger house and gardens of the early-18th century. The house and grounds are now mostly lost. Offa's Dyke runs through the property. A summerhouse of 1718 still stands.

The early-18th century garden was provided with a great range of plants and trees, some supplied by the gardens at Chirk and Halston. Plants introduced to the gardens include: yew (including a 'silver edged' variety), fir, spruse, laurel, mulberry, savin, and mezerion trees; striped and silver hollies; striped phillyrea; roses; and woodbines. The fruit garden contained walnut, peach, pear, apricot, and apple trees, sweet briars and goosebury bushes, and the vegetable garden featured Russian cabbages, cauliflowers, 'Hotspar' peas, carrots, and turnips (Stamper 1996, 27).

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History

The present day house at Blodwell Hall is said to be the service quarters of a much larger house, now demolished, belonging to Sir John Bridgeman and his wife Ursula. The Bridgemans designed the garden and built the house from around 1700, and lived there until John Bridgeman moved to Castle Bromwich on the death of his wife in 1720. Of the garden buildings, only a summerhouse of 1718 survives. The summerhouse is faced with rusticated stone, and its central entrance features an arch and pilasters, above which sits an elaborately carved tympanum decorated with a shield and garland. The gatepiers that marked the original entrance to the forecourt of the great house also survive (Reid 1980, 80).

Accounts of 1705-15 (Staffs. R.O., D1287/3/6B) throw some light on the gardens and their features. The accounts mention a garden wall (15 January 1705), stone pillars (20 December 1705), and garden steps (20 December 1705). Also of note are the mount, the mount wall, and flagging on the mount (13 July 1711), as well as fruit trees planted on the mount wall (24 January 1712).

After John Bridgeman's death in 1747, the hall was let out as a farmhouse, and the care of the gardens and buildings soon declined. Since 1999, the house has been in the hands of Roger and Wendy Taylor, and is currently in use as a dairy farm of over 300 Jersey cows.

Associated People
Features & Designations

Features

  • Country House (featured building)
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  • Summerhouse
  • Description: A rusticated stone-faced summerhouse with elaborate central entryway, tympanum, and pediment.
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  • Garden Wall
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  • Steps
  • Description: Garden steps
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  • Mount
  • Description: Mount with summerhouse
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  • Orchard
  • Description: Fruit trees planted along the mount wall
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  • Approach
  • Description: A 1.5 km long tree-lined walk or avenue, paved with spar, leading to the great forecourt gate.
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Key Information

Type

Formal

Purpose

Agriculture And Subsistence

Principal Building

Domestic / Residential

Survival

Part: standing remains

Hectares

160

Open to the public

Yes

Civil Parish

Llanyblodwel

References

References