They were created by James Mellor, a local industrialist, their design being inspired by the teaching of Emanuel Swedenborg, and are a representation of John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.

Following this concept, he designed gardens around his house based on John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, an allegory describing the spiritual journey of a Christian through his life.

[3] The gardens remain in private ownership, and are open to the general public on advertised dates and by appointment.

The areas in the gardens, and the features they contain, are intended to represent the journey through the life of Christian in John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.

[b] The path leads to a former cross, now a broken pillar, and the Cave of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christian loses the burden of his sin through the overflow hole of the mill pond.

The path leads over the Wobbly Bridge to a potting shed representing the Porter's Lodge, in front of which is a stone lion.

[1] Originally the path led out of the gardens to a tenant's farmhouse, 300 metres (328 yd) away, representing Doubting Castle, the view of which is now obscured.

Now the path leads down a grassy slope representing the Delectable Mountains, to a stone summerhouse, the Howling House.

In the wall of this is a slot acting as an Aeolian harp, and a fireplace to produce smoke to fill the room.

[1][9] In addition to the Pool of Siloam, other parts of the gardens were given biblical names, including a set of steps called Jacob's Ladder, and Mounts Gerizim, Pisgah and Nebo.

[14] The other listed buildings are the sundial,[15] and the three pedestal tombs of members of the Mellor family and James Walker.