Peckforton

History

The Peckforton Hills were quarried during the Roman era. Peckforton appears in the Domesday Book survey of 1086, when it was held by Wulfric (possibly Wulfric Spot). The survey lists land for two ploughs. Peckforton fell in the ancient parish of Bunbury in the Eddisbury Hundred.

Peckforton and the adjacent civil parish of Beeston were part of an estate purchased by John Tollemache, 1st Baron Tollemache, in 1840. Lord Tollemache built Peckforton Castle in 1844–50. Praised as a model landlord, he had over fifty farms and many cottages built on his Cheshire estate, at a cost of around £280,000. Labourers were encouraged to rent 3 acre of land to farm to supplement their income. In 2008, the Tollemache family remained the major landowners in Peckforton, although the castle itself was sold in 1989.

Governance

Peckforton has a parish meeting rather than a parish council. From 1974 the civil parish was served by Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council, which was succeeded on 1 April 2009 by the unitary authority of Cheshire East. Since 2024 Peckforton has been within the parliamentary constituency of Chester South and Eddisbury which is represented by Aphra Brandreth.

Geography and transport

The civil parish has a total area of 1754 acre. The sandstone ridge of the Peckforton Hills runs broadly north–south in the west of the civil parish, with high points at Peckforton Point (; 203 metres) and Stanner Nab (; 200 metres). A 57.88 hectares area of Peckforton Woods has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the hills have also been designated county sites of biological importance for their woodland and grassland habitats. The Peckforton Hills are the source of the Weaver and the Gowy rivers; the Weaver flows southwards through the parish, while the Gowy flows northwards.

To the east of Stone House Lane, the land is gently undulating with an elevation mainly within the range of 75–100 metres. The land use in this part of the civil parish is agricultural, predominantly pasture with some arable land. This area also includes the woodland and plantations of Peckforton Moss (), Peckforton Wood (), Brickkiln Wood () and part of Willis's Wood (), as well as Peckforton Mere () and many smaller ponds and meres.

The A49 forms part of the eastern boundary of the civil parish. Stone House Lane runs north–south through the parish, with Peckforton Hall Lane running eastwards from it. The Sandstone Trail long-distance footpath runs along the Peckforton ridge.

Demography

In 2006, the total population of the civil parish was estimated as 150. This represents a decline from historical population figures, which were 260 (1801), 286 (1851), 176 (1901) and 140 (1951).

Peckforton Castle

Main article: Peckforton Castle

At the northern end of the Peckforton ridge stands the grade-I-listed Peckforton Castle (), a Victorian replica of a medieval castle designed by Anthony Salvin in 1844–50 for John Tollemache. Built around a walled courtyard with battlements and towers, the castle stands opposite the genuinely medieval Beeston Castle, and is surrounded by a dry moat. The castle was sold in 1989, and subsequently converted into an hotel.

Also by Salvin are the castle's small private chapel and the gatehouse on Stone House Lane. Both, like the castle, are in rock-faced stone. The gatehouse consists of an archway and circular turret with a two-storey lodge attached. Both buildings are listed at grade II*.

Other landmarks

Main article: Listed buildings in Peckforton

Elephant and castle carving

A red sandstone carving depicting an elephant bearing a castle stands in a garden on Stone House Lane in Peckforton village. It dates from around 1859 and is listed at grade II. It was carved by John or William Watson, a local stonemason then working on Peckforton Castle who also carved stone lions now at Spurstow and Tattenhall. The elephant and the castle are each carved from a single piece of stone, which derives from the same quarry as Peckforton Castle. The elephant has a tasselled saddle, supporting the castle which has three tiers, with a turreted gatehouse and a keep with turrets at the corner. Some of the castle windows are glazed.

The original purpose of the carving is unclear. The device formed part of the crest of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers and is often associated with public houses, but there has never been a pub called The Elephant and the Castle in Peckforton. An elephant also appears in the arms of the Corbett family, local landowners before 1626. According to one source, the carving was originally intended as a beehive, although there is no evidence it has ever been used as one.

Listed buildings

Peckforton has a diverse collection of listed buildings. Probably the earliest remaining buildings in the civil parish are Manor Farm Cottage and Yew Tree Cottage, grade-II-listed timber-framed cottages dating from the early 17th century. Black and White Cottage on Stone House Lane is a single-storey, timber-framed, thatched cottage dating from the late 17th century with an attached byre under the same roof; the cottage is listed at grade II* for its unusually well-preserved interior.

Other black-and-white cottages include Garden Cottage and Hillside Cottage in the village, and Hill Lane Cottage on Hill Lane. Rock Cottage is unusual in being constructed in sandstone, while Smithy Cottage is a timber-framed cottage infilled with a mixture of brick and sandstone. On Peckforton Gap in the south of the civil parish stands The Gap, another stone cottage. All date from the late 17th century and are listed at grade II.

To the east of the village on Peckforton Hall Lane stands Peckforton Hall (), a grade-II*-listed farmhouse dating from the late 17th century. In red brick with a slate roof, the hall has twin gabled bays with a later ungabled wing. The nearby former farm building of the same date is timber-framed with a mixture of stone, brick and oak boarding; it is also listed at grade II.

Several former Peckforton Estate cottages, built for John Tollemache in around 1860, are listed at grade II. Constructed in red or brown brick, they typically have a single storey with an attic and feature lozenge windows and prominent chimney stacks. Examples include Fountain Cottages, Green Cottage and Mill Beck Cottage.

Manor Farm () stands on Peckforton Hall Lane at the east of the village and is typical of farmhouses built for the Peckforton Estate. The farmhouse dates from around 1870 and is in red brick with three bays, lozenge windows and timber studding to the gables. Both the farmhouse and the adjacent farm building of the same date are listed at grade II. Hillside Farm () on Stone House Lane south of the village is another former estate farm, also dating from 1870. The farm house and adjacent farm building are grade II listed.

Education

There are no educational facilities within the civil parish. The parish falls within the catchment areas of Bunbury Aldersey Church of England Primary School in Bunbury and Tarporley High School in Tarporley.

References

References

1. "Civil Parish population 2011". Office for National Statistics.
2. Phillips ADM, Phillips CB. ''A New Historical Atlas of Cheshire'', p. 19 (Cheshire County Council; 2002) ({{ISBN. 0 904532 46 1)
3. Morgan P, ed. ''Domesday Book: Cheshire'', section 2, paragraph 28 (Phillimore; 1978) ({{ISBN. 0 85033 139 0)
4. {{usurped
5. 0 09 469920 8)
6. Durdey, R.. (2007–2008). "John Tollemache and his castle". Cheshire History.
7. Anon. Castles and cottages: The view from the estates. ''Sandstone News'' (June 2005) Downloaded at [http://www.sandstonenews.org.uk/ Sandstone News] {{webarchive. link. (23 July 2008 (accessed 11 March 2008))
8. [http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Parish/ParishDetail?parishname=Peckforton+Parish+Meeting Cheshire County Council: Parish Council Details: Peckforton Parish Meeting] (accessed 27 January 2009)
9. [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080634_en_2#pt2-l1g3 Cheshire (Structural Changes) Order 2008] {{webarchive. link. (17 May 2009)
10. (July 2024). "Location of Chester South and Eddisbury".
11. (July 2024). "MPs representing Chester South and Eddisbury".
12. Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council: Parish Statistics (downloaded from [http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk]; 5 April 2010)
13. [http://maps.cheshire.gov.uk/cheshirecc.interactivemapping.web.internet/Default.aspx?e=354035&n=356500&mpp=5&layers=BOU.PLA.PLO.PAR&hLayer=&hField=&hValue= Cheshire County Council: Interactive Mapping: Peckforton] (accessed 10 March 2008)
14. [http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx Natural England: Nature on the Map] (search for "Peckforton Woods", site code 1002189) (accessed 13 February 2008)
15. link. (4 June 2008 (accessed 14 February 2008))
16. The [[United Kingdom Census 2001
17. [http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/chs/peckforton.html Genuki: Peckforton] (accessed 10 March 2008)
18. Pevsner N, Hubbard E. ''The Buildings of England: Cheshire'', pp. 300–302 (Penguin Books; 1971) ({{ISBN. 0 14 071042 6)
19. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1135729 Images of England: Peckforton Castle] (accessed 13 February 2008)
20. [[George Gilbert Scott]] called it "the very height of masquerading". Not used as a residence since the [[Second World War]], the castle has been used as a film and television location, and as a venue for civil weddings and live-action fantasy [[Role-playing game|role playing]].[https://www.imdb.com/List?endings=on&&locations=Peckforton%20Castle,%20Peckforton,%20Cheshire,%20England,%20UK&&heading=18;with+locations+including;Peckforton%20Castle,%20Peckforton,%20Cheshire,%20England,%20UK IMDb: Titles with locations including Peckforton Castle, Peckforton, Cheshire, England, UK] (accessed 15 March 2008)
21. [http://www.peckfortoncastle.co.uk/index.php?/the_castle_experience/history/ Peckforton Castle: History] (accessed 15 March 2008)
22. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1138621 Images of England: Chapel in the ward of Peckforton Castle] (accessed 10 March 2008)
23. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1313148 Images of England: Entrance Lodge South-East of Peckforton Castle] (accessed 10 March 2008)
24. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1138623 Images of England: Stone elephant and castle in garden of Elephant and Castle Cottage] (accessed 10 March 2008)
25. Bamford P. ''Cheshire Curiosities'', p. 90 (Dovecote Press; 1992) ({{ISBN. 0 946159 96 3)
26. Frith F, Nicholle D. ''Cheshire Living Memories'' (Frith Book Co.; 2004) ({{ISBN. 1859376754). Quoted in [http://www.francisfrith.com/search/england/cheshire/peckforton/ Francis Frith: Peckforton photos] {{webarchive. link. (5 March 2008 (accessed 10 March 2008))
27. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1138618 Images of England: Manor Farm Cottage and Yew Tree Cottage] (accessed 10 March 2008)
28. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1330119 Images of England: Black and White Cottage] (accessed 10 March 2008)
29. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1138622 Images of England: Garden Cottage] (accessed 10 March 2008)
30. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1313278 Images of England: Hillside Cottage] (accessed 10 March 2008)
31. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1138615 Images of England: Hill Lane Cottage] (accessed 10 March 2008)
32. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1135745 Images of England: Rock Cottage] (accessed 10 March 2008)
33. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1135726 Images of England: Smithy Cottage] (accessed 10 March 2008)
34. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1330099 Images of England: The Gap] (accessed 10 March 2008)
35. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1313276 Images of England: Peckforton Hall] (accessed 10 March 2008)
36. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1138617 Images of England: Farm building south-east of Peckforton Hall] (accessed 10 March 2008)
37. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1138620 Images of England: Fountain Cottages] (accessed 10 March 2008)
38. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1138619 Images of England: Green Cottage and Mill Beck Cottage] (accessed 10 March 2008)
39. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1135435 Images of England: Manor Farm House] (accessed 10 March 2008)
40. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1138616 Images of England: Farm buildings east of Manor Farm House] (accessed 10 March 2008)
41. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1313277 Images of England: Hillside Farm House] (accessed 10 March 2008)
42. [https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1330100 Images of England: Farm building north of Hillside Farm House] (accessed 10 March 2008)
43. [http://maps.cheshire.gov.uk/cheshirecc.interactivemapping.web.internet/Default.aspx?e=354035&n=356500&mpp=5&layers=BOU.PLA.PLO.PAR.PSCA.SSCA&hLayer=&hField=&hValue= Cheshire County Council: Interactive Mapping: Primary School Catchment Areas & Secondary School Catchment Areas] (accessed 27 January 2009)