There’s lots to explore at Tatton. The Orangery and Lady Charlotte’s Garden were created at the beginning of the 19th century by Lewis Wyatt. Other features include the Italianate Garden, the Fernery and several water features. The Japanese Garden was designed and laid out by Japanese workmen in 1910 for the 3rd Baron Egerton.
On the south side of the Kitchen Gardens is the Rose Garden with a sunken pool, statues and pergola.
The RHS hold a Flower Show at Tatton Park each July.
Free entry to National Trust Members with concessions to members of Historic Houses, RHS and Tatton Garden Society.
There is a Parkland entry charge to Tatton Park that applies to all vehicles and visitors including National Trust members.
It is not known who built the Great Hall but Sir Thomas Egerton, Lord Chancellor of England, added a two–storey wing in 1598, having bought the Estate from his half–sister, Dorothy Brereton.
It was not until c1716 that Tatton Park became the main residence of the Egerton family when John Egerton built a ‘new house’ designed by John Barker on the site of the present house
On inheriting the estate from his father in 1756, Samuel Egerton made changes to the interior of the house and commissioned William Emes to produce a Rococo plan of the Park in 1768. It seems few of Emes’ plans were implemented as in 1774, Egerton was considering rebuilding the house.
Egerton commissioned Samuel Wyatt to produce some designs for a Neo–Classical house although the first stage of the build was not finished at the time of his death. The house was still being developed in 1791 when Humphry Repton was asked to survey the landscape.
Critical of what he saw, Repton produced his Red Book with numerous suggestions; it seems few were implemented.
After Wilbrahim Egerton finished the alterations to the house to designs by Lewis Wyatt, he turned his mind to the landscape. He employed John Webb to execute some of Repton’s suggestions, for example lining the drives with shrubs and draining the Turn Mere although Webb took all the credit.
Wyatt designed the Orangery in 1818 and the nearby originally kidney–shaped flower garden; it is now called Lady Charlotte’s Garden after William Egerton’s wife.
Below the south terrace is the Italianate Garden with a square pool in the lower terrace with a statue of Neptune which can be seen in a 1903 photograph in Country Life. Recent research by Hazel Gryer has confirmed that this area dates from 1847 and was designed by Joseph Paxton with his assistant, Edward Milner, supervising the work. Paxton also designed the Fernery to the north–west of the Conservatory for William Tatton Egerton, with ferns brought back from New Zealand by Egerton’s brother.
Tatton Park was given to the National Trust in 1958 on the death of Maurice, the last Lord Egerton.
There are various buildings and sculptures throughout the estate including the Tudor Hall also known as the Medieval Old Hall. This is located on the other side of the park, not near the gardens.