Page 10 - Leighton News May 2017

10
Edward Kemp and his influence on Leighton Estate
On Wednesday the 5th April I attended the unveiling
of a Blue Plaque at Birkenhead Park to honour
Edward Kemp 1817 – 1891. The protégé of Joseph
Paxton, he assisted Paxton in the development of
Birkenhead Park, from a wet agricultural landscape to
become the first
public funded park
and the forerunner
of the Public Park
Movement in house are terraced
Britain. April 5th
also celebrated, to
the day, 130 years
since the opening of
the Park in 1887.
Joseph Paxton was
famous for creating
th e p a r k a t
Summer — one of the Chatsworth for
Four Seasons sculptures the Duke of
Devonshire, 90
miles from Birkenhead, and for the creation of the
Crystal Palace. Edward Kemp trained under Paxton at
Chatsworth. Paxton was approached by Birkenhead
Improvement Commission in August 1843. He
accepted the commission and completed the plans for
the new park by November 1843. He employed his
assistant, Edward Kemp, to supervise the work.
Paxton only visited very occasionally. The Park had
lakes, boat houses, bridges and carriage drives, and
also a number of lodges for staff.
On the recommendation of Paxton the Commissioners
employed Edward Kemp to be the Park’s first
Superintendent and Manager and that he should be
housed in Lodge No 2, the Italian Lodge rent and rates
free. Edward Kemp continued to manage and improve
the new park until the recession hit Birkenhead. In
1850 Kemp was told that they could no longer afford
to employ him but that he could remain in the Italian
Lodge rent and rate free. This stimulated Kemp to
look for other landscape commissions. Kemp's How to
lay out a Small Garden (1850), and The Parks and
Gardens of London (1850) were an important
influence on the High-Victorian Mixed Style. Kemp
designed many parks and gardens and was one of the
judges for the design for Central Park New York. The
Olmsted and Vaux design was chosen in 1858. The
Central Park design was based on Birkenhead Park
design but was of course vastly larger.
As a Liverpool Banker John Naylor would be aware
of what was being developed at Birkenhead. Whilst
his new Leighton Hall was being built he
commissioned Kemp to design the gardens and
landscape in 1850. This was probably one of Kemp’s
first commissions and currently the only known Kemp
designed works in
Wales.
The formal
gardens around the
on two levels with
an octagonal pool
and a flower garden
(the Library
Garden) enclosed
by a high wall.
Kemp incorporated
elements of an
earlier garden with The Serpentine pond and Icarus
ornamental pools
and sculptures
linked by raised walkways and bridges. In an informal
area, the serpentine pond, with the statue of Icarus falling
into it, was a focal point in the landscape. The influence
of Kemp can be seen in the Cascade from Holly Bush
Pool, running alongside the footpath and road to Holly
Bush, the former High Bridge and the many rides
through the estate above Leighton Hall. When Kemp
worked for John Naylor the slopes above Leighton Hall
were a mixture of woodland and agricultural small
holdings. The hillside was only planted up for forestry
after 1931, when the estate was sold. Kemp's work was
completed by c1870. What a project!
John Marwick
Photographs from a 1933 family album
Thanks for information given by Glynis Shaw, Chair of
the Clwyd Branch of the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust
Statuary and fountain