HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT
4.10 BUILDING CUERDEN HALL: THE WYATT LETTERS Chronological analysis of Wyatt’s letters and drawings, as well as Benson’s journal and accounts shape an understanding of the process involved in constructing Cuerden Hall in the early 19th century. They offer glimpses of the relationship between architect and client, the wholly manual building methods of the early 19th century and insight into family life in a country house at that time. Having first requested accurate dimensions of the existing 1717 house in early April 1816 – including wall thicknesses, locations of openings, fireplaces, waterpipes etc for the existing house, as well as the landscape and major planting schemes. Wyatt then proceeded to design the remodelled structure and the new wing. ‘In the execution of the building I will spare no paints to make it correspondent with the effect conveyed by the drawings, and if you can reconcile it with modern customs, to live in a new house characterised as one of an earlier period, though neither Grecian or Gothic, but proposing perhaps the comforts and advantages of both, I hope you will not have occasion to repent or be disappointed.’ The letters show Townley Parker was closely involved in the design and construction process, with Wyatt at one point enquiring, ‘if I have entered too largely into technical explanation, or, for want of knowing to whom I might apply for such information, you will I am sure excuse it.’ Evidently this was not the case, and Townley Parker remained closely involved in the process, including the financial arrangements. He sought to make economies by demolishing Chorley Hall and salvaging its timber, stone, bricks, fireplaces and furniture for reuse in the alterations to the old house and the new domestic offices. They appear to have reused old joinery from this house to fit out the offices at Cuerden. TP continued to look for carved joinery being sold in London and Wyatt promised to keep an eye out for such opportunities in the future (June 1816). However, he was not averse to spending money if it hastened the building process. Timber for the work at Cuerden was purchased in Liverpool, despite Lewis Wyatt’s repeated urging to use the Hull market and to obtain better prices. Benson made regular visits to the docks there for this purpose. The timber bought was transported on the Liverpool Canal to Bank Bridge, Whittle-le-Woods, from where it was carted to Cuerden, usually with horses hired from Townley Parker.
In a letter dated 23rd April 1816 Wyatt states, ‘The list of prices you were so good as to send me, appear to be very high, particularly the wages, which (excepting the Joiners 4/8 pr day) are as much as is given in London - Reductions now, both in wages and materials are everywhere taking place, and I should hope that Benson or your Steward would inform themselves, and find out that there must have been some mistake - I think it possible, as the war duties are likely to be continued, that timber and deals may be bought cheaper this Spring than they are likely to be, from the immense stock on hand, both in the foreign and home markets, and if judiciously selected, will be better for your buildings, and by being laid in soon, will of course be the better season’d for work - Your idea of Wainscot floors, doors, sashes, shutters, architraves, base and surbase mouldings, in the principal rooms, and wainscot Staircase, I approve of very much, and if it was desirable to indulge in a larger extent of it.’And again, on the 29th April 1816, Wyatt writes: ‘l have also look’d over the letters of the L’pool Merchants, containing the prices of Timber and deals, and I cannot but think them high in comparison with the London prices – I do not know how you are situated as to the Hull markets, they are said to be low, and it may not be amiss if your Steward was to write to some of the Merchants there, we had some very good Dantzick Wainscot Logs from Messr Barkworth & Co. of Hull for Mr. Legh’s buildings at Lyme.’ In December 1816, Lewis Wyatt had completed the working drawings for the new house and, having organised his personal arrangements early in April 1816, Benson immediately tackles this work and his journal shows in the week from January 4th to the 11th, 1817, ‘Digging out foundations for cellars and walls for the new house.’ Benson engaged 3 carpenters named Mishall and together with two masons and a labourer employed by Mr. Roper, set about the task of clearing the site to carry out the alterations to the old house and to dig the foundations for the new domestic offices in accordance with Wyatt’s sketch proposals. Benson also engaged two sawers named Bradshaw, one of whom with various “mates’’ was to spend most of the next two years reducing baulks of timber to usable and specified sizes. Benson had previously taken the precaution of forming a barrowing way into the new cellar area but the excavation and removal of the surplus material all by hand took until the 22nd March by which time some foundations had been laid, the cellar walls were being raised and the timber centres being readied to form the vaulting. 42
42 Lancashire archive reference DDX 3046/34 Champness, 1984
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In a letter dated 9th February 1817, to Townley Parker, Benson reports on his purchases following one such visit and enquires if Townley Parker will be making and supplying the bricks during the coming summer. Mr. West had already estimated that some 540,000 commons and 66,000 facing bricks would be required in the new house. In December 1816 Lewis Wyatt having studied Benson’s returns and sketches takes the clerk of works to task for having oversized the timbers and for his uneconomical use of craftsmen. ‘I have received from Benson his returns, and working drawings from which he framed the partitions and floors of offices - they were made out in a strong workmanlike manner, and as he stated, principally out of old materials, it is possible that the scantlings of some of the Timbers might be a little more than was absolutely necessary and I am afraid the intermixture of old and new work and materials in the offices, may not appear quite so creditable as Benson perhaps would wish, but as the object is to make them plain and comfortable, I hope he will use them with as much judgment as the difficulties attending such works will permit - In our future works in the new building I trust we shall be more successful, and be able to introduce a more economical system, than by employing Master Tradesmen so generally, and also to keep down the price of wages, which I am sorry to see kept up in that part of the country.’ It was during this phase that Edward Wyatt, the carver, did his work. Balusters and other woodworks made by the local joiners were sent to Edward Wyatt in London for carving and returned to Cuerden for installing. At the same time work continued on the repairs and alterations in the old house and the completion of the domestic offices, the total work force had now risen to 37.