British Listed Buildings

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Listing Text

SD 66 NW TATHAM

2/72 Wall surrounding sunken garden
4-10-1967 approx. 30 metres south of Blands
Farmhouse, with tunnel entrances

GV II

Retaining wall around garden, early C19th. Sandstone rubble. Roughly
circular on plan, with buttressed straight section of wall on west side.
Contains 7 bee boles with projecting flagstone caps. Part of the wall on
the north side, together with an 8th bee bole, has recently collapsed
(December 1984). At the north-west side there are stone steps leading to
the upper garden level, and a doorway which leads to an underground tunnel
running in 2 directions, initially within the retaining wall. These
tunnels connect with a network of underground passages. There has been
much speculation about the history of the site, but discussions with the
grandson of 'Perpetual' Arthur Burrow, recorded by Baldwin Bent of Wray in
1935, confirm the view that this Arthur Burrow constructed the sunken
garden from quarry waste and constructed tunnels within the walls to
connect it with old coal workings. This Arthur (the second, 1759-1827) was
a local lay preacher, was apprenticed as a blacksmith, and was known as
'Perpetual' because he was said to construct perpetual motion machines at
Blands. Some of the underground water courses may be connected with his
experiments.


Listing NGR: SD6250569639

Source: English Heritage

Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence: PSI Click-use licence number C2008002006.