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Blackden

The story of Blackden flows from the last Ice Age to the present day; from hunters working stone on the ridge to a place of creative inspiration for artists and scientists in the twenty-first century.

It has been many things: seasonal camp, burial ground, manor, farm, and the ramshackle house that the writer, Alan Garner, found and made his home.

There are many reasons to visit including the long history of the place, the buildings and the garden.

Find out more about our 10,000 year history on our timeline.

What could this be?
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This is the Collin Colophone
See if you can find it at Blackden when you visit us
The Old Medicine House

In 1970, a 16th century timber-frame apothecary's house, was threatened by demolition on its original site at Wrinehill. It was dismantled, repaired and re-erected alongside Toad Hall. The combined structure is a Grade II listed building.

Toad Hall

This was probably built and lived in by the aristocratic Eaton family in the later Middle Ages, but its manorial status faded and, by 1880, it had been divided into two tied cottages. Since 1957 it has been home to the author Alan Garner.

The Garden

The garden at Blackden has many of its own stories to tell. From the gravestone that has been carved to form the base of a cheese press to the Mercian Roundshaft, rescued from Axton Springs between Leek and Congleton, the gardens are, quite literally, full of treasure. Archaeological treasure, at least. Many of the artefacts on display inside the Old Medicine House appeared during routine domestic activities, such as gardening and digging drains, and tell the story of 10,000 years of occupation on this site.