Summary

Cain Hill Monument on the site of Cain Hill House, built by Thomas Archer in 1710. Both are thought to replace an earlier building which was referred to during the construction of Cain Hill House.

Source: Historic England

Details

The monument includes the standing, earthwork and buried remains of Cain Hill House and column and the equivalent remains of earlier and subsequent buildings and structures documented on the site. The site is situated in a small clearing, within an otherwise wooded, natural mound, c.700m south east of the current Wrest Park House. Cain Hill has been integral to the overall landscape design of Wrest Park House since at least the early C18.

The monument is visible on the surface as a ruinous, pedestal, raised on three steps with the whole sitting on a circular earthwork mound measuring approximately 30m in diameter. Brick and rubble, from earlier structures, protrude from the earthwork in various places. The pedestal is brick built and rendered, has a tapered base above which square rebated panels, for the insertion of engraved commemorative slabs, are evident on each face. Two of the slabs have become detached and lie on the ground, a third is still attached.

The area of scheduling is drawn as a circular area c.30m in diameter from the central point of the standing pedestal (Grid Reference TL0980035397). This includes a 5m margin of protection around the monument which was thought necessary for its support and preservation. There are no exclusions from the scheduling.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Cain Hill Monument, Wrest Park is designated for the following principal reasons:
* Survival: the monument and earthworks surviving on the site represent a palimpsest of significant phases of landscape development from at least the early C18;
* Potential: Cain Hill House has been integral to the wider context of Wrest Park designed landscape since its inception and is representative of the most significant phase in the development of Wrest Park. It is also witness to the change and continuity in fashions of landscape design; and the place they held in the wider landscape of Wrest Park;
* Documentation: the depth and detail of the historical documentation provide an important backdrop to the archaeological deposits and their interpretation;
* Group Value: the significance of the site is enhanced further by its association with the numerous listed buildings and structures within, and around, the Grade I Registered Park and Garden and its association with the Scheduled Gardens.

Source: Historic England

Sources

None.

Source: Historic England