Monument record 8009 - Blakesley Hall Park

Following the demolition of Blakesley Hall in 1957-58 much of the grounds have been cleared. Pulhamite garden features including an ornamental stream with a waterfall, cascade, lagoon, stepping stones and rustic bridges situated within the grounds of Blakesley Hall. These were installed in about 1895-98 by James Pulham II (1820-1898) and James Pulham III (1845-1920) of James Pulham and Son for Charles William Bartholomew. Hitching (2010) states that Farm Managers Cottage could also be the work of the Pulhams. In 1907-8 James Pulham III installed two terracotta garden seats near a balustraded bridge within the grounds. Neither of the seats are now in their original locations. A bottle containing a list of names of the Pulham craftsmen who worked on the site,was found in one of the seats when it was dismantled and moved to it current location in 2004. The craftsmen were foreman Alf Whitton, Fred Rickett, Walter Smith, George Sheldrake, Joe Whitton, Charlie Whitton, and Tom Watson.A visit by Hitching to the site in 2004 recorded that the features were extant and in good condition.

{1} Remains of gardens attached to Blakesley Hall; the site was demolished in 1957-8. The site of the Hall has been cleared leaving only the remains of its formal gardens. One of the only remaining features is an ornamental watercourse fed from the west by a diverted stream, and ends with waterfalls to the east. The watercourse is U-shaped in plan and c.10m wide. It incorporates garden features such as bridges and waterfalls and a stone revetment. It is unlikely ever to have been a medieval moat, more probably an C18th/19th landscaping feature.

{2} Moat at SP62024986.

{3} Henry Wight Esq.

{4} Reference to the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.

{5} Remains of ornamental gardens, the ruin of a tower/summer house, bridges and waterfalls.

{6}The estate totalled 948 acres. The grounds of the Hall were open to the public on holidays so locals could enjoy its amenities. The Hall stood in 25 acres of a wonderfully landscaped oasis littered with ………it hosted the local agricultural and horticultural show which only moved to Seawell Grounds in 1983. The grounds were also home for the village cricket team with a pitch and pavilion. It remained with the Bartholomew family until sold in 1949. Its farms were sold off in separate lots.

In 1903 C.W.Bartholomew introduced miniature steam railway running on 15in gauge tracks and was used to carry goods from Blakesley Station to house as well as passenger train. It was later pulled by a unique petrol-driven locomotive called Blacolvesley. The home-built Petrolea steam engine was redesigned by Bassett-Lowke to make it look more like orthodox locomotive.

{7} Caption to photo no.34 refers to a 15 inch gauge railway which ran the short distance from the local station to Blakesley Hall. Used to carry "coal, farm supplies and occasional passengers…built by the owner of the Hall in 1903 and during the First World War, when the Hall became a military hospital, was used in the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers. Unfortunately the track was lifted in 1940 and the Hall itself demolished in 1957…"

{8} Charles Bartholomew purchased the manor and estate of Blakesley, near Towcester, Northamptonshire, in 1876 as a gift for his son, Charles William Bartholomew. When his father died in 1895, Charles William proceeded to spend large portions of his inherited fortune on the estate and village, and was well known as a local benefactor. One of his early ‘improvements’ was to commission James Pulham and Son to construct an ornamental stream – complete with a waterfall, cascade, lagoon, stepping-stones and rustic bridges – in his pleasure grounds. His guests were even able to participate in a quiet afternoon’s punting on the picturesque ‘upper stretch’ of the stream
The Pulhams returned in 1907-08 to replace the old wooden bridges over the stream with ornamented stone balustraded bridges.

{9} Hitching states that Charles William Bartholomew, owner of the Hall, commissioned James Pulham II to construct an ornamental stream with a waterfall, cascade, lagoon, stepping stones and rustic bridges. The work took place in about 1895-98 and also probably involved James Pulham III. Hitching also states that Farm Managers Cottage could be the work of the Pulhams. James Pulham III returned to the Hall in 1907-8 and installed two terracotta garden seats. Neither of the seats are in their original locations. A bottle containing a list of names of the Pulham Craftmen who worked on the site was found in one of the seats when it was dismantled and moved to it current location in 2004. The craftsmen comprised the foreman Alf Whitton, and craftsmen Fred Rickett, Walter Smith, George Sheldrake, Joe Whitton, Charlie Whitton, and Tom Watson.

A visit by Hitching to the site in 2004 recorded the features extant and in good condition.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP64NW8 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<2> 1958, OS 6 INCH MAP, SP64NW (Map). SNN14228.

<3> Eyre T. (Revised by Jefferys T.), 1779, Map of the County of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Map). SNN1852.

<4> STEANE J.M., 1975, The Medieval Parks of Northamptonshire, p.220 (unchecked) (Article). SNN37713.

<5> BURT J., NOTE, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN48340.

<6> Blakesley Hall & C.W.Bartholomew, (unchecked) (Report). SNN43702.

<7> RICE A.; SWIFT A., 1999, Northamptonshire Railway Stations on Old Postcards, Photos 34+35 (unchecked) (Book). SNN45413.

<8> Hitching, C., 2012, Rock Landscapes: The Pulham Legacy, Chapter 23 (Book). SNN110609.

<9> Hitching, C., 2010, The Lives and Work of James Pulham and Son, Chapter 19, pages 8-14 (Book). SNN112244.

<10> Ordnance Survey, 1886, First Edition OS 6 Inch Mapping Series, (unchecked) (Map). SNN14232.

<11> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.173/Site 3 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77382.

<12> Hitching, C., The Pulham Legacy: Pulham sites in the Midlands, Chapter 23 (Website). SNN114229.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 8:10PM