Tatton through my eyes...

Emily is spending a couple of weeks as an intern. Here's her perspective of Tatton so far...

As a local Knutsford resident Tatton Park has always been on my doorstep, constantly passing through, whether it be on a family bike ride, walking the dog or simply enjoying the sunshine with a picnic by the Mere.  However, the magnificent history and intricate stories which are beyond Tatton Mere are unbeknown to me. 

This week my eyes have been opened to the world behind Tatton Park, consisting of hundreds of years of the Egertons and their endeavours which occurred throughout this time. 

Set in over 1,000 acres of parkland Tatton has something for everyone; this week I have discovered each individual aspect of the park and set my adventurous instincts to go.

One of the most immaculate elements of Tatton is the Gardens, inspired from places all over the world and the host of a compilation of spectacular beauties. The first thing I did was wander off the path and deep into the landscape, concealing myself from all other visitors, I felt like Mary in her Secret Garden. This lead me through to the Arboretum, a magical part to the gardens full of elaborate conifers, again feeling like a child, lost in an enchanted wood. Having made my way back to the main path I then approached the maze, which I decided to have a whirl at; luckily I found my way to the centre and back out again- a challenge which entices everyone. My final stop off was the faultless Italian Gardens, set in perfect symmetry as a backdrop to the Neo- Classical Mansion; placed with precision and perfection they compliment the grounds and Mansion wholly. 

Seeing the Gardens which envelop the Mansion made my intuition take me to the heart of the park, for a glimpse as to the wonderful life the Egertons lived in their grand home. As a whole the Mansion is stunning, it may not look too spectacular from the outside but by stepping through those doors this idea diminishes and you become captured by the house and its contents. The three elements which really caught my eye were the architecture, the paintings and the library. The popular style of the Ancient Greeks and Romans influenced the style of the Mansion, explicitly displayed throughout with a similar symmetry to the Italian Gardens. However, the Entrance Hall exhibits the finest piece of Neo-Classicism, marble floors, porphyry columns and a mirror image from the central line. 

The library at Tatton

Like any 18^th/19^th Century mansion, paintings consume the majority of wall space; what intrigued me was the rarity of a number of these. Predominantly the two Canaletto’s in the Drawing Room; magnificent originals with an uncommon signature declaring them as a couple of the first Canaletto paintings. The final site which encapsulated me was the library; holding a collection of over 8,000 books spanning a whole host of subject matter, dating as far back as 1513. There are even some first edition Jane Austen novels amongst the gorgeous Gillows bookcases.

As Tatton has recently become parent to two sets of piglets, The Farm was the next place on my visit list. Armed with the camera I went in search of these babies to the working farm, which has been part of Tatton since the mid eighteen hundreds. Specialising in raising rare breads of animals, Home Farm is a place for children with an adventurous head and adults who are intrigued by the history, or like me, just animal lovers. The pigs were my favourite part, host to six rare breads: the Tamworth, Large Black, Middle White, Berkshire, Saddleback and Gloucestershire Old Spot, meant there was plenty to see alongside those adorable, chunky piglets.

Finally I took a step further back in time to the oldest part and building of the Tatton Estate- The Old Hall. As a child I recall coming here, dressed as Vikings; one minute baking bread over an outdoor fire and the next charging at classmates, in the heat of a battle. Named as the ‘Hidden Gem’, the Old Hall can often be forgotten. The original Manor House to the first residents of Tatton during the Middle Ages, the Old Hall tells its story through the walls as you amble through the house. As each new era added segments to the house, the periods develop as the house does- commencing with the Medieval Great Hall and ending in the sitting room of Tatton workers in the 1950s. What a brilliant tour, creating the feeling of movement through the ages, I could immediately imagine the residents of the Old Hall sat in each room conducting their daily routine of the period. They may still be there. 

Emily-Jane Bartley