Monuments StrollApproximately 0.7 miles

Take in most of the monuments on a stroll around the formal gardens – passing the Chinese House, Doric Temple, Cat’s Monument, Essex Bridge and the Ruin. Start at the front of the Mansion and follow the paths.

There are lots of routes through the gardens and for the most part these are level and hard-surfaced. This walk is good for pushchairs and wheelchairs with lots of places to stop and rest.

Hadrian’s Arch WalkApproximately 1 mile

Leaving Park Farm head off on a walk up to Hadrian’s Arch, taking in the view over the parkland. Take a short detour and admire the Lanthorn of Demosthenes.

The walk is circular and you will end up back at the car park. Mostly mown grass paths and with some uphill work, we recommend suitable footwear for the terrain.

Stafford Plantation WalkApproximately 2 miles

If you are feeling more adventurous head out to the Stafford Plantation. There are lots of paths to explore, and for those of you who have an OS map, journey further into the Satnall Hills.

Paths in the plantation vary in surface and can be muddy. There is some uphill work, and we recommend suitable footwear for the terrain.

Essex Bridge and Great Haywood CliffsApproximately 5 miles

If you are looking to explore some of the quieter areas of the estate, head over Essex Bridge, turn right and follow the paths up to Great Haywood cliffs. Explore open parkland; looking over to Hadrian’s Arch; dense woodland and hidden cliffs.

Path surfaces vary between grazed grassland and uneven muddy paths.

Recommended rambles Chinese House

The Chinese House was the first of Thomas Anson’s garden buildings, designed from a sketch completed on Admiral Anson’s circumnavigation. It was once full of Chinese artefacts brought back from his voyage. In 1885 it was felt that the contents would be more secure in the Mansion, so they were moved there for safekeeping. Why not pop into the Mansion to discover which items remain.

Great Haywood Cliffs

This walk was once one of the main carriage drives into Shugborough. The family used this route to go to church in Little Haywood, but the entrance has since been blocked by new housing developments. One of the best views over the parkland can be seen from up here.

Arboretum

The arboretum is located on an island created in 1804 as part of the improvement works to the gardens and park by John Webb. It was formed by digging an additional channel for the River Sow after the damaging flood of 1795. Today the arboretum is a collection of oak trees. Started in 1975 by Patrick Lichfield, he planted over 200 trees as a personal and lasting contribution to the estate.

Lanthorn of Demosthenes

This curious monument is a copy of a Greek trophy from the 4th century BC. It originally had a domed top with a gilded tripod stand, decorated with dolphins by Matthew Boulton, supporting a huge black ceramic bowl by Wedgwood. Both industrialists were friends of Thomas Anson.

Hadrian’s Arch

Begun in 1761, this Triumphal Arch was based on the design of the Arch of Hadrian in Greece. Thomas used the arch to create a lasting memorial to his brother and his brother’s wife, Elizabeth.

Two busts, of Elizabeth and George, stand in the outer arches and in the centre is a naval trophy, or ‘Aplustre’, showing the stern of a ship and symbols of the spoils of war, fitting for George, an Admiral in the Royal Navy.

Some highlights

to look out for on your adventure

Tower of the Winds

This octagonal tower originally stood on an island and was reached by two ornamental bridges. In 1803 Samuel Wyatt created a working dairy in the basement, an ornamental dairy on the ground floor and a banqueting room with large windows on the first floor.

Shepherd’s Monument

This monument is, and probably will always remain, somewhat of a mystery.

The carving is based on a painting by Poussin which contains a number of messages to the viewer. The main message is that even in paradise, Death will find you. Thomas Anson may have been conscious that, even though he had created his own paradise at Shugborough, his mortality was inevitable.

Discover more about this intriguing monument in the parkland exhibition at Park Farm.

Cat’s Monument

Would you create a monument to your cat?

Two theories exist about the meaning of this monument. One is that it commemorates a cat that travelled around the world with Admiral Anson, the other is that it is a memorial to the last of a breed of Persian cats kept for many years by Thomas Anson.

A perfect paradise?

Thomas Anson inherited the Shugborough estate from his father in 1720. At that time, a small village sat at the centre of the estate, but Thomas gradually bought all the leases of the properties and re-housed the tenants in the nearby village of Great Haywood. His aim was to create his own version of paradise: an idyllic landscape peppered with monuments.

On Thomas’s death in 1773, Shugborough passed to his nephew George and in 1789 to his great nephew Thomas Anson II (created Viscount Anson in 1806). Viscount Anson set his sights on agricultural reform with the addition of Park Farm at the heart of the estate and the creation of the huge Walled Garden.

Head out on a journey of discovery to explore the remains of Thomas’s vision and find out about how the National Trust is working to restore and conserve the parkland.

ESTATEWALKS

Shugborough

See the map overleaf, to find each of these monuments.

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Key Property ownership boundary

Railway

Bridleway

Forested areas

Areas of water

Parkland with restricted access

Dog Bins

Kinetoscope

Recommended rambles Monuments Stroll

Hadrian’s Arch Walk

Stafford Plantation Walk

Essex Bridge and Great Haywood Cliffs

Stop off points 1 Car park and Visitor Reception 2 Explorers’ Wood 3 Tower of the Winds 4 Doric Temple 5 Shepherd’s Monument 6 Cat’s Monument 7 Chinese House 8 Essex Bridge 9 Great Haywood 10 Great Haywood Cliffs 11 Quarry 12 The Ruin 13 Boat House 14 Lanthorn of Demosthenes 15 Hadrian’s Arch 16 Milford

Exploring the parkland safely

• Please keep your dog on a lead at all times in the parkland. The Stafford Plantation is a great place for under-control dogs to let off a bit of steam off the lead. Please ensure you pick up after your dog, dog bins can be found across the estate are marked on the map.

• Surrounded by rivers and a canal, Shugborough has lots of open water, so please keep a close eye on children and dogs.

• Our plants may look tasty, but we recommend that you don’t eat any of the leaves or berries at Shugborough.

• We recommend suitable footwear be worn when heading out into the parkland. Check with our team about suitability of paths and routes if you have any accessibility concerns.

• If you touch any of our farm animals, please ensure you wash your hands before eating.

Step inside ‘A Lost Paradise?’

In 2017, artist filmmaker Benjamin Wigley began a two year project entitled ‘A Lost Paradise?’ to explore and interpret the landscape at Shugborough - both existing and lost. In 1795 a great flood washed away a number of monuments and changed the designed landscape forever. Through poetry, film and soundscapes, Ben has recreated that tumultuous night and showcased his films within three specially designed Kinetoscopes. Using renewable energy in the form of handcranks, the kinetoscopes allow the films to be viewed and heard in the very landscape they were filmed in and inspired by without the need for damage to, or a permanent intervention within it. A ‘making of’ video and further information can be found in the Parkland Exhibition room at Park Farm.

Look for the kinetoscopes when you’re exploring the landscape.

* We recommend OS Maps beyond this area

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Stafford Plantation

Satnall Hills*

Great Haywood Park Farm

MansionArboretum

Park Farm

Walled Garden

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