Editing Peckforton Castle (section)

==Early history==
[[File:Peckforton Front Gate.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|View of the front gate of Peckforton Castle]]
Peckforton Castle was built between 1844 and 1850 for [[John Tollemache, 1st Baron Tollemache|John Tollemache]], the largest landowner in Cheshire at the time, who was described by [[William Ewart Gladstone]] as "the greatest estate manager of his day".<ref name="Durdey2007">{{Harvnb|Durdey|2007|p=77}}</ref> Tollemache's first choice of architect was [[George Latham (architect)|George Latham]] of [[Nantwich]], but he was not appointed, and was paid £2,000 in compensation. Instead Tollemache appointed [[Anthony Salvin]], who had a greater reputation and more experience, and who had already carried out work on the Tollemache manor house, [[Helmingham Hall]] in [[Suffolk]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Durdey|2007|pp=81–82}}</ref> The castle was built by Dean and Son of [[Leftwich]], with Joseph Cookson of [[Tarporley]] acting as clerk of works. Stone was obtained from a quarry about {{convert|1|mi|km|0}} to the west of the site, and a railway was built to carry the stone.<ref>{{Harvnb|Durdey|2007|p=83.}}</ref> The castle cost £60,000.<ref name=pev>{{Harvnb|Hartwell|Hyde|Hubbard|Pevsner|2011|pp=524–527}}</ref>

Although it was built as a family home its design was that of a [[Middle Ages|medieval]] castle. It has a [[gatehouse]], a [[portcullis]], a dry [[moat]], external windows that are little more than [[arrowslit|arrow slots]], and large towers.<ref name=d75>{{Harvnb|Durdey|2007|p=75}}</ref> In 1851 ''[[The Illustrated London News]]'' said that it "seems to exhibit the peculiar beauties of [[Caernarfon Castle|Carnarvon Castle]] without its inconveniences" and in 1858 [[George Gilbert Scott|Sir George Gilbert Scott]] called it "the largest and most carefully and learnedly executed Gothic mansion of the present"  and that it was "the very height of masquerading".<ref name=pev/> It is regarded as "the last serious fortified home built in England" and "it was executed to the highest standards and is one of the great buildings of its age".<ref name=images/>

There has been debate about the motives for building a more-or-less complete medieval-style castle in the 19th&nbsp;century. Although he was a great estate manager, Tollemache was also perceived as "a man of considerable eccentricity".<ref name=d75/> Dr Jill Allibone is of the opinion that he might have been protecting himself and his family from the political troubles of the time.{{sfn|Allibone|1988|p=101}} In a defensive building he would be able to protect himself against any revolution by the masses from nearby [[Manchester]] or [[Liverpool]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Durdey|2007|p=76}} This opinion was expressed in Allibone's doctoral thesis on Anthony Salvin, published in London in 1977.</ref> A possible practical reason for building such a solid residence rather than an [[Italianate architecture|Italianate]]-style villa was to provide shelter from the adverse weather conditions which could affect the Cheshire plain.<ref>{{Harvnb|Durdey|2007|pp=76–77}}</ref> However Durdey comes to the conclusion that the decisive factors were to use his "vast inheritance" to provide himself with a house that was "impressive, dominant and suitable for Cheshire's greatest landowner".<ref name="Durdey2007" />