Figure 3.1 Samuel Buck Drawing of Old Bretton Hall 1719-20
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Yorkshire Sculpture Park Historic Landscape Management Plan
The Landscape Agency
3.0
Landscape History
Wentworth (later Blackett) (1725-1792) inherited Bretton.
3.2.5
Sir Thomas Wentworth (later Blackett)
On inheriting the estate, Sir Thomas Wentworth (1725-1792) promptly set about landscaping the park.
John Dickinson’s Map of the County of York (published in 1750) showed no lakes at Bretton, but in 1764
the nurseryman and landscaper Richard Woods (c1716-1793) was consulted about landscaping work to
the park at Bretton Hall. Sir Thomas Wentworth’s neighbour, John Spencer of Cannon Hall (where Richard
Wood worked from 1760-1765), noted in his diary on March 4th 1764 that Mr Woods had been to Bretton
Hall. In July Spencer recorded the work going on there, when he dined with Sir Thomas Wentworth and
‘walked over the Park and to view’d his intended Improvements’. Woods went to Bretton Hall from Cannon
Hall later in July. The landscaping work probably included planting in the park, the formation of Upper Lake,
and possibly some other work, such as a kitchen garden, the Bath House in Bath Wood, and possibly a
building in Bella Vista (the lake, a rectangular walled area (possibly a kitchen garden) to the north of the hall,
and a building at the north end of the park, were all shown on Jefferys’ Map of the County of York, surveyed
1767-1770, published 1771). The landscape seen at Bretton today is largely C19 but based on this mid to
late C18 phase of work.
On December 15th John Spencer recorded that ‘Sir Thos Wentworth’s new Bridge was carried down this day
by the Violence of the Flood. Mr Woods generally blamed for his unskillful direction about the Construction
of it’ (Sheffield City Archive: Sp-St 60633-17). It is not known if Woods continued to be employed after this
but landscaping work continued, possibly under his guidance, or to his plan. Woods also worked at Haigh
Hall, immediately south-east of the Bretton Hall estate, which was the house of Thomas Cotton, the owner
of the blast furnace, sited in what is now part of Bretton Country Park. The cascade at the east end of Upper
lake was swept away again in a flood in October 1767. John Spencer recorded that ‘Sir Thos Wentworth’s
new finished lake was a second time burst’ (Sheffield City Archive: Sp-St 60633-20).
An undated map of the roads in the park (YAS BEA C2/MPD/17/19), with a writ dated 1767, showed the
proposed alteration of the route of the main highway from High Hoyland to West Bretton. The proposal was
presented at the Quarter Sessions in July 1767 and was endorsed. The old road crossed the river near
Bretton Dykeside, and then lead north, passing immediately to the east of the Hall. The proposed road
intended to run along the south side of the Dearne and then turn north to cross the river approximately at
site of the lower dam, and from there run up to Bretton village, passing just west of the C18 chapel. This
route was probably either never laid out or was altered shortly afterwards when the Lower lake was flooded.
Part of the route along the south side of the Dearne may have been flooded when the Lower Lake was
formed (the plan showed the route of the river Dearne prior to the formation of Upper Lake).
Yorkshire Sculpture Park Historic Landscape Management Plan
The Landscape Agency
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