Head of Medusa from statue of Perseus and Medusa at Trentham Gardens
In Greek mythology, Medusa was a beautiful maiden, who angered the Goddess Athena. Outraged, Athena turned Medusa into a Gorgon, making her hair into living snakes. As well as this, any man who looked upon her face would be turned into stone. Perseus killed her by using his shield as a mirror and cutting off her head. The earliest record of Trentham is in the Domesday Book of 1086. In 1153 Henry II created a Royal Deer Park. The land changed hands several times until wool merchant James Leveson purchased it in 1540. The Levesons (later Leveson-Gower) held the land until 1948. The first lake was created from 1746-1748. The landscape designer 'Capability Brown' made many changes to the estate from 1759-1780. The family married into the Sutherlands in 1803. In 1808 the architect Charles Heathcote Tatham completed a new mausoleum. This building is still standing and Stoke-On-Trent's only Grade I listed also added to the hall itself. In 1833 George Granville, 2nd Duke of Sutherland, began a £123,000 building programme. His statue is on Monument Hill at the southern end of the lake. It was during this period that the internationally renowned Italien Gardens (between the hall and the lake) were designed and laid out. As the River Trent, which runs through the estate, became increasingly pollued, the stench finally drove the family from the hall. It was mostly demolished in 1911. Between the two world wars a new ballroom was built with an Art Deco lido outside. In the post war years it became a music venue for the likes of The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. After several 'ups and downs' it is was purchased in 1996 by St. Modwen Properties PLC and German investor Willi Reitz. In 2003 a £100 million development plan began. This includes: restoration of the Italian Gardens, woodland and wildlife habitat restored, statue of Perseus restored, garden centre built, two hotels, timber-built retail development, monkey forest, holiday lodges and much more.
Size: 3560px × 5360px
Location: Trentham Estate, Stone Road, Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © dean nixon / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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