Archaeological Assessment and Evaluation
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THE SWINE GROUND AND SLOPES GARDEN, LYME PARK, CHESHIRE Archaeological Assessment and Evaluation Matrix Archaeology December 2016 THE SWINE GROUND AND SLOPES GARDEN, LYME PARK, CHESHIRE Archaeological Assessment and Evaluation Report No. 2016-12 (Project Code: MA646) Client: The National Trust Matrix Archaeology Ltd, 36 Highfield Road, Stretford, Manchester M32 8NQ [email protected] December 2016 REPORT CONTENTS Summary 1. Introduction 2. Scope and methodology 3. Site location 4. Site development 5. Gazetteer 6. Feeder Canal Recording 7. Rough Cascade Recording 8. Trial Trenching Results 7. Site interpretation 8. Recommendations Sources and Bibliography Figures Figure 1: Site location map, from O.S. 1:25,000 sheet. Figure 2: Archaeological Assessment and Trial Trenching Plan. Figure 3: The Swine Ground and Slopes Garden on early 18th-century plan of proposed landscaping at Lyme Park (copy at LP, reproduced from OAN 2006). Figure 4: Plan of the Swine Ground by Lewis Wyatt, c 1813-17 (copy, LP). Figure 5: The Swine Ground and Slopes Garden on the Plan of Lyme Park by Thomas Pollitt 1824 (GMCRO). Figure 6: The Swine Ground and Slopes Garden on the tithe map for Lyme Handley c 1850 (Cheshire Archives and Local Studies). Figure 7: The Swine Ground and Slopes Garden on OS 1:2500 Cheshire sheet XXIX.2, surveyed 1871. Figure 8: The Swine Ground and Slopes Garden on OS 1:2500 Second Edition 1897, revised 1896. Figure 9: The Swine Ground and Slopes Garden on OS 1:2500 Cheshire sheet XXIX.2 Edition of 1909, revised 1907. Figure 10: The Swine Ground and Slopes Garden on OS 1:2500 SJ 9682-9782, revised 1971, published 1972. Figure 11: Lyme Hall on a fragment of an equestrian painting, late 17th century (National Trust). Figure 12: Lyme Hall from the north, c 1700 (National Trust). Figure 13: Lyme Hall from the north, c 1700 (National Trust, Stamford Estate Office, R/21/44 Paddock Cottage). Figure 14: ‘Lyme Hall in Cheshire, the Seat of Peter Legh Esqr’, by Charles Nattes, published in W Watts The Seats of the Nobility and Gentry, 1786. Figure 15: ‘View of Lime Hall’, published in J Aikin A Description of the Country from Thirty to Forty Miles Round Manchester, 1795. Figure 16: View of the south front of Lyme Hall, oil on panel, nd (LP). Figure 17: View of Lyme Hall from the south-west, nd (LP, photo folder Dutch Garden). Figure 18: ‘Lyme Hall. The seat of Thomas Legh Esqr’, by P C Auld, published in E Twycross The Mansions of England and Wales, 1850 (LP). Figure 19: Watercolour of the Swine Ground and Lyme Hall from the west, nd (LP). Figure 20: Gamekeeper John Barker and his family, 1860s (LP PAL 02). Figure 21: Water colour by Augustus Hare (1834-1903) (copy, LP). Figure 22: West front and pond, nd (LP CRO 004). Figure 23: Approach from the west, c 1900 (LP). Figure 24: Dutch Garden and stream, nd (LP FA1-025). Figure 25: Dutch Garden and stream, nd (LP PCD 014). Figure 26: Culverting the stream, looking east to the Dutch Garden (LP POR111). Figure 27: Culverting the stream, looking east (LP POR112). Figure 28: Culverting the stream, looking north-west (LP POR110). Figure 29: Culverting the stream, looking south-east (LP POR114). Figure 30: Site of the infilled pond (LP SMI 001). Figure 31: Restoration of the cascade, c 1980s (LP XDO 303). Figure 32: Restoration of the cascade, c 1980s (LP CHR 410). Figure 33: The Swine Ground on ‘Lyme Park Block Plan of Area Surrounding Hall’, Stockport County Borough Parks Dept, 12 May 1947 (LP). Figure 34: Proposed alterations to car park on plan of ‘Lyme Park - Approach to the Hall’, September 1976 with alterations in 1977 (LP). Figure 35: Trenches A and B; plans and sections. Figure 36: Trenches C and D; plans and sections. Figure 37: Rough Cascade; detail plans and sections. Figure 38: South-facing section on feeder canal, Rough Cascade and culvert. Figure 39: Possible reconstruction of DBA Feature 5, viewed from south-west, during early nineteenth century (by Peter Middleton). Figure 40: Possible reconstruction of DBA Feature 5, viewed from south-west, during late nineteenth century (by Peter Middleton). Figure 41: Dutch Garden and semi-circular pond (Stockport Corporation 1952). Figure 42a & 42b: Dutch Garden and semi-circular pond on postcard, nd. Plates Plate 1: Swine Ground viewed from Lyme Hall, showing Dutch Garden in foreground, looking westwards. Plate 2: Feature 2, viewed from west, looking towards cascade (Feature 1), which is just visible in centre. Plate 3: Western part of cascade (Feature 1), viewed from south-west. Plate 4: Eastern end of cascade, where it meets the South Pond, viewed from west. Pump House visible top left. Plate 5: Eastern section of cascade, viewed from west. Plate 6: Waterfall at eastern end of cascade (Feature 1b), showing sluice outlet a base, viewed from west. Plate 7: Hole excavated at west end of canal (Feature 1a), viewed from south-west. Plate 8: Infilled opening in drystone revetment wall (Feature 6), viewed from west. Plate 9: Feature 6, viewed from north-west. Plate 10: Feature 6, viewed from south-west. Plate 11: Bridge 10, now culvert outfall from channel from Dutch Garden (Feature 7), viewed from north. Note vertical timber stakes in foreground. Plate 12: Remains of possible timber dam (Feature 11), viewed from south. Plate 13. Trench A, viewed from south-west. Plate 14. Trench A, fully excavated, viewed from north. Plate 15. Trench A, north part, viewed from west. Plate 16. Trench A, stone blocks (05) above culvert (07), viewed from west. Plate 17. Trench A, culvert (07), viewed from west. Plate 18. Trench A, looking up culvert (07), from west. Plate 19. Trench A, looking down culvert (07), from east. Plate 20. Trench B, viewed from west. Plate 21. Trench B, fully excavated, viewed from north. Plate 22. Trench B, north part, viewed from west. Plate 23. Trench B, culvert (05), viewed from west. Plate 24. Trench B, wall remains (07), viewed from west. Plate 25. Trench B, culvert (05), viewed from west. Plate 26. Trench B, view looking up partially-blocked culvert (05), viewed from west. Plate 27. Trench B, view looking down (now dry) culvert (05), viewed from east. Plate 28. Trench C, viewed from north. Plate 29. Trench C, fully excavated, viewed from south. Plate 30. Trench C, flagstone surface (08) within central sondage, viewed from west. Plate 31. Trench C, pond wall remains (09), viewed from west. Plate 32. Trench D, general view, from south-east. Plate 33. Trench D, fully excavated, viewed from south. Plate 34. Trench D, fully excavated, viewed from north. Plate 35. Trench D, north part, viewed from east. Plate 36. Trench D, south part, viewed from east. Plate 37. Trench D, south extension, fully excavated, from north. Plate 38. Trench D, south extension, viewed from east. Plate 39. Temporary dam at east end of feeder canal. Plate 40. De-watering west end of feeder canal. Plate 41. Box culvert and removable plug at west end of feeder canal, viewed vertically from masonry dam. Plate 42. West end of feeder canal, viewed from south. Plate 43. Culvert beneath masonry dam, viewed from east end of Rough Cascade. Plate 44. Rough Cascade, viewed from west. Plate 45. Rough Cascade, extreme west part, viewed from south. Plate 46. Rough Cascade, west part, viewed from south. Plate 47. Rough Cascade, central part, viewed from south. Plate 48. Rough Cascade, east part, viewed from south. Plate 49. Rough Cascade, extreme east part, viewed from south. Plate 50. Rough Cascade, slot and recess at east end of south wall, viewed from north. Plate 51. Rough Cascade, south wall, centre part, viewed from north. Plate 52. Rough Cascade, rebuilt south wall, west part, viewed from north-west. Plate 53. Top of dam, viewed from south. Plate 54. Feeder canal, extreme west part, viewed from south. Plate 55. Feeder canal, viewed from south-west. Plate 56. Feeder canal, viewed from south-east. Plate 57. Feeder canal, extreme east part, viewed from south, showing temporary dam to right, and cast-iron intake pipe for pump house, to lower left. SUMMARY An archaeological desk-based assessment was undertaken at the Swine Ground and Slopes Garden, in Lyme Park, Cheshire. This small plot of land, presently in use as a car park, formed a natural amphitheatre, and was previously crossed by two small streams. There were also late post-medieval artificial water features located to the east, within the Slopes Garden. Subsequent to the desk based assessment, archaeological recording was undertaken on the Rough Cascade and feeder canal, and four trial trenches were excavated to investigate the culvert from the Rough Cascade; a semi-circular pond, and the site of a large circular pond. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 An archaeological desk-based assessment (DBA) was undertaken by Matrix Archaeology at the Swine Ground and Slopes Garden, in Lyme Park, Cheshire, during June- July 2015 (Figure 1). This was commissioned by Jamie Lund, Archaeologist (North West) for the client, the National Trust. The work was undertaken to inform possible landscaping works here. 1.2 No previous archaeological recording had been undertaken at the site, although in 2013 Matrix Archaeology conducted a desk-based assessment and building recording at the Timberyard, located immediately to the north-west of the Swine Ground (Matrix Archaeology, 2013). Some information from that project was used for this report (Gazetteer entries 10 and 11). 1.3 Subsequently, during August 2015, a watching brief and recording were undertaken in connection with temporary works related to a sudden loss of water from the Rough Cascade within the Slopes Garden.