Lathom Park Trust’s seventh AGM for Members only will be held on Tuesday 16th February 2010 at 7.30 p.m. in The Ellerbrook Suite, Briars Hall Hotel, Briars Lane, Lathom. After the AGM, at 8.15 p.m., an illustrated presentation open to both Members and visitors will be held. For full details of this, read on……..We know exactly where Sir Thomas Bootle’s Leoni-designed Lathom House was built! What we needed to do was find out with more certainty where the previous medieval Lathom House stood; what it might have looked like; how big it was; its fortifications and defences. Was the medieval house or castle built upon even earlier houses?
Volunteers ready to start work
Working in “The Big Trench”
Come along to an illustrated presentation about Lathom Park Trust’s third Heritage Lottery Fund grant aided project which will bring you up to date with all the exciting archaeological excavations carried out in summer 2009 in the Pleasure Garden at Lathom House. Jamie Quartermaine, Project Director from Oxford Archaeology North (who is also one of the Trustees of Lathom Park Trust) will be giving the talk at 8.15 p.m.
NON-MEMBERS WELCOME - £1.00 charge MEMBERS – Free with Membership Card We announced at our 2009 AGM that we had been successful in obtaining a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £49,900 to allow us to continue with our Historic Lathom Project.Phase 3 of this Project aimed to investigate more of the archaeological potential of the underlying site of the former Lathom House designed by Giacomo Leoni and built by Sir Thomas Bootle; the only surviving remains of which is now the West Wing. When the renovation works at the West Wing began in 1997, part of a medieval rock-cut moat and substantial masonry remains including buttressed walls (possibly tower bases) were discovered, suggesting a large defensive structure – possibly the site of the previous Lathom House, seat of the Stanleys, Earls of Derby, largely destroyed in the Civil War. Our excavations last summer provided more evidence that the Leoni house had been built over the old remains. We also commissioned extensive geophysical surveys of the area “to look below the surface” using sophisticated electronic techniques, particularly in places where we were not able to excavate.
Paul Kenyon is offering an illustrated talk, entitled: A POTTED HISTORY OF LATHOM (illustrated). The talk lasts approximately 1hr 20mins Paul is pleased to give talks to groups for a small donation to trust funds, Talks to schools etc. would be free of charge.
For further information, please contact:Steve Baldwin, Lathom Park Trust Limited, at stevebaldwin@hotmail.co.ukNotes to Editors The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more about our diverse heritage. From our great museums and historic buildings to local parks and beauty spots or recording and celebrating traditions, customs and history, HLF grants open up our nation's heritage to everyone to enjoy. Since 1994 it has supported more than 26,000 projects, allocating over £4 billion across the UK.www.hlf.org.uk
