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VISCOUNT Ashbrook emphasised that, as
patron of the Cheshire Gardens Trust, his role was to help preserve parks
and gardens.
He was willing to
launch the Nantwich Walled Garden Society but emphasised that he had not
spoken to Bellway (the developers of the adjacent land). He realised that
they would have their point of view and accepted there were important
financial aspects at stake.
Despite this, he was
certain that planning permission should not be granted as the garden was
an historic site and the walls were Grade 2 listed. He felt the proposed
flats within the garden would completely destroy the integrity of the
walls and garden.
Within the past few
years, the climate of opinion had changed and the public realised the
value of their heritage and that gardens were an important part of that
heritage. In this area, Cheshire County Council - with help from the North
West Development Board - were behind the promotion of parks and
gardens
At this point,
Viscount Ashbrook asked if there was a representative from Bellway present
and a member of the public indicated that he was.
The Viscount went on to state that as a landowner he was familiar
with the pros and cons of profit and loss but felt that profit could not
be the only consideration. He pointed out that whereas planning applicants
had the right to appeal against a planning decision, objectors could not
have that decision reversed.
As the Crewe and Nantwich
Borough Council planning committee met within a few weeks of the meeting,
the society should do all in its power to persuade the planning committee
not to grant planning permission - or at least allow a breathing space to
raise funds and allow viable plans to be drawn up to preserve the
garden.
There was support from both
English Heritage and the Garden History Society for the preservation of
the garden which, if it could be preserved for posterity, would be a great
amenity for Nantwich.
Listening to Viscount Ashbrook as he spoke were Sir Richard and
Lady Baker-Wilbraham, descendents of the Wilbraham family who once owned
Townsend House and the Elizabethan garden we are fighting to save.
James Edwards (Acting Chairman) had welcomed Sir Richard and Lady
Baker-Wilbraham and Viscount Ashbrook. He thanked Roger Mills of Rose
Farm for the free use of the marquee in which the meeting was held,
together with Malcolm Smith and friends for providing the tea.
Pat Fulford (Secretary)
thanked Cliff Davies for taking the photo of the doorway four years ago
(see Background
page) before it was tragically destroyed. The remains of the lintel were
still there.
She said that she had never
objected to Kingsley Fields housing but that the walled garden was an
historic site. King James I had visited there and walked in that
garden.
She introduced David Mason,
a Nantwich archivist, who had researched the garden at Cheshire County
Council Archive. There he had found the account books of Sir Thomas
Wilbraham, listing everything ordered for the garden. His research gave a
fascinating idea of the layout and contents of the garden in the 16th
Century.
The Secretary said the aims
of the society were:
1, To prevent the development of housing on
the site of the Old Walled Garden off Welsh Row, Nantwich, which was once
part of the gardens of Townsend house.
2, To ensure that the Elizabethan walls of
the garden are fully restored and reinstated: and
3, To restore the garden in a way that
reflects its history, so that it can be maintained in perpetuity for the
enjoyment of residents and visitors to Nantwich.
She then invited those
present to become members of the Nantwich Walled Garden Society by paying
a subscription to Peter Green, the treasurer.
Sir Richard
Baker-Wilbraham remarked how David Mason’s research would have delighted
his father as he had bought the documents at a sale at Sotheby's in
1950. He said that his side of the
family had left Nantwich in 1699 but he was sure that his cousin Sir Hugh,
descendant of the branch that had remained, would give the project his
support.
A committee member, Keith
Ward, favoured the retention of the garden but he felt the need of a
viable alternative. He suggested a bowling green and wondered if an
existing bowling club could be offered the choice of a new green within
the walled garden and the old green be offered as a building site in
exchange.
Barbara Colbert emphasised the importance of
individual letters to the planning committee of Crewe and Nantwich Borough
Council and asked not only that all members wrote to them but tried to
attend the meeting as well.
She described the Physic
Garden in Petersfield (right), which was established in 1988 on donated land, as an
example of what we might emulate, providing an oasis in a busy market town.
Viscount Ashbrook pointed
out that planning officers had to contact the Garden History Society and
suggested that Cath Gibson,
the conservation officer of the G.H.S., should be invited to
inspect the site to see it at first hand and be asked to write a stronger
letter to the planning authorities.
Asked what legal grounds
there were for the council to turn down the application, Sir Richard said
its listed status would be a reason.
The Secretary said that
Bellway were given permission to build on Kingsley Fields on condition
that the wall was restored.
It was asked whether the
builders could gain access to the garden without further damaging the
walls. Would potential damage to a listed building be a reason to refuse
planning permission? Malcolm Reid said that development should not affect
the setting of a listed building.
Keith Ward proposed that the
proposed constitution be accepted. This was seconded by committee member
Herbert Rowsell and unanimously accepted.
Also present at the
inaugural meeting were committee members Faith Cartlidge, Chris Murray and
Noelle Williamson.
lThe subscription to the
society is £10. Anyone who would
like to be a member may join by sending that amount to the Treasurer.
See the Join us
page.
oPicture
of the Physic Garden in Petersfield from their
website.
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