Teddesley Hall

Their seat since the early 16th century had been Pillaton Hall, a short distance east of the village, the site of which they had inherited from the Wynnesbury family.

The fourth baronet completed his family's dominance in the area by buying the manor of Penkridge from the Francis Greville, Lord Brooke in 1749.

It became noted for the quality of its cattle, and its reputation for agricultural innovation was enhanced by his heir, Edward Walhouse, a great-nephew who changed his name to Littleton in order to succeed to the estates, but not the baronetcy, in 1812.

The Marchioness, Hyacinthe-Gabrielle Roland, Mary's mother, a famous French actress (as "Gabrielle Fagan") in earlier life, was residing at Teddesley when she died in 1816.

An educated middle-class woman, she had liberal political and literary interests of her own, and one of her guests at Teddesley was the novelist Elizabeth Gaskell.

It is certain, however, that Charles Cope Trubshaw, forebear of a dynasty of Staffordshire architects, who lived nearby, worked at Teddesley in the early days, so he is a definite candidate.

Another possible designer was William Baker, a Cheshire architect who is known to have drawn up plans for buildings in Teddesley Park in 1757–59, about a decade after the likely start date for the Hall.

The main building was linked by curved screen walls to flanking ranges, one housing stables, the other kitchens, stores and servants' rooms.

To the west was a large expanse of informal parkland, sloping down to the Lodgerail Pool, created by damming a small tributary of the River Penk.