New Face from the Past Revealed at Beeston Castle

A stone carving which probably dates back to Victorian times has been revealed at Beeston Castle, near Tarporley in Cheshire, when the land restoration project removed the scrub that had been hiding it for half a century!

Staff from English Heritage were already aware of a couple of carvings on the site, which are located in the Robin Hood Cave (named after Uma Thurman was filmed there with Patrick Bergen for the 1990 movie), but this new carving was not revealed until scrub and self-sown saplings were removed as part of the site’s major land management programme. 

The carving may have gone un-noticed, but is directly opposite the end of the new woodland trail pathway, so visitors see the sandstone bank as they emerge from the path to head either left towards the Robin Hood Cave, or down to the right towards the sand caves.

“With so much undergrowth covering the exposed sandstone, it is not surprising that this face was ‘lost’ over the years, but it did make us wonder how many other faces might be hidden elsewhere on the site,” comments visitor operations manager, Mark Hodgson.  “We suspect that they are most likely left over from Victorian times – this would co-incide with the excavations of the sand caves, which provided sand for blasting boats on the nearby canal.  This is also when Peckforton Castle was built on the adjacent cliff, when Beeston Castle became the romantic ruin view for the Tollemache family.”

The sandstone, upon which Beeston Castle is built, is especially soft, which makes it fairly easy to sculpt.  Indeed, a spectacular carving of an elephant stands proud in the garden of a house in Stone House Lane in neighbouring Peckforton, carved by stonemason John Watson, around 1859, when Beeston Castle was enjoying it renaissance as a Victorian visitor attraction.

To encourage eagle-eyed visitors to keep an eye out for these historic sandstone carvings, anyone who spots a new carving will receive a season ticket for unlimited visits to the castle!

Beeston Castle is located off the A41, 11 miles south east of Chester,  and is open daily throughout the summer, from 10.00am to 6.00pm.  Admission is £5.00 for adults, £4.00 for concessions and £2.50 for children.  For more details, please call 01829 260464 or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/beestoncastle