A Regency love-nest?

The National Trust property of Attingham Park, just outside Shrewsbury, is so well-known and so well-visited, that it is easy to assume that its history and grounds are completely well-documented and understood.

In 2018, however, this was proved wrong. Archaeologist Dr Nigel Baker was asked to set up an excavation to check out the proposed site for some new roads that were planned on the Attingham Park estate – and to everyone’s surprise his team of volunteers found the remains of a Georgian summer house that no-one knew was there.

And so began a series of excavations, continuing in 2019 and running until 2023, which revealed ever more fascinating finds around the summer house, which was now believed to be set in a private pleasure garden, complete with plunge pool.

The finds all belong to the early nineteenth century, when the house was being expanded and rebuilt by the extravagant, recently-married, second Lord Berwick. And it would seem that he also built a pleasure garden solely for himself and his new wife – hence the suggestion that it was a luxurious ‘Regency love-nest’.

On Thursday 15^th May Dr Nigel Baker will give Meifod History Group the inside story about the excavations, and the structures his team uncovered.

The event is free to members of Meifod Local History Group, and costs £4 for non-members.