Description

SJ 98 SE LYME HANDLEY C.P. LYME PARK

4/73 The Cage.

14/4/1967
II*

Formerly hunting tower cum gatehouse, later park keeper's house and
prisoners' lock-up: Origins c.1580, taken down 1734 by George Platt,
rebuilt 1737 by Peter Platt, perhaps to a design by Leoni for Peter
Legh X. Coursed, squared, buff sandstone rubble with ashlar sandstone
dressings, felted roof and cupolas (originally stone) and formerly 2
chimneys. In plan, square with attached square corner towers.
3-storeys symmetrical fronts. Chamfered plinth, raised rusticated
quoins, applied ashlar band at first floor. Windows in towers in
raised, plain surrounds (now blocked but with 12-pane sashes
originally). Semi-circular headed doorcases on 3 faces, with
rusticated surrounds and Tuscan pilaster capitals to imposts with
raised plain, window surrounds above (all blocked). Projecting
heavily-moulded entablature with ashlar blocking course with central
balustrading (probably added by Wyatt, now damaged). On towers,
stepped bases to domed cupolas (now C20 wooden replacements) 3 square
sundials on moulded sills between 1st and 2nd storeys, read: east
face, "Vive Hodie"; south face, "Remember now the creator in the days
of thy youth"; west face, "Cras minus aptus eris".
Interior: 4 Tuscan antae with banded rustication in ground floor.
Diagonal flight leads to spiral, stone staircase in south-west corner
tower. Remainder of interior now removed but first floor was the main
room with a panelled oak ceiling with huge, central, carved rosette.
The stairs were in one corner, a fireplace, a lavatory, and a prison
room in the others.

All the elements used in the rebuild can be found in the south and
west ranges of Lyme Park (q.v.) but it is not certain if the C16
structure (paralled by an example at Chatsworth) was totally
demolished or not.

Listing NGR: SJ9663683070

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q87577642

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)