The extensive gardens and grounds of Adlington Hall sit comfortably between the rising hills of the Peak District and the rocky escarpment that is Adlerley Edge. They have occupied this choice position for at least five hundred years and reflect that long history in the diversity of styles and abundance of character and charm they process. During the last fifteen years the grounds immediately around the hall have undergone something of a renaissance. The courtyard, moat and millpool have been transformed into a rose garden, maze, flower parterre and water garden.To the south of the hall a much larger area covering some fifteen hectares has been known as the Wilderness since the middle of the 18th Century. This is, in fact, what a recent commentator has called ‘one of the most inventive and evocative Rococo gardens in Britain.’ It has lain dormant under a cloak of Rhododendron Ponticum for more than a hundred years. During the last four years the careful process of removing this cloak whilst retaining what has survived underneath has begun to reveal a wonderful landscape.The Rococo style of the Wilderness with its eclectic mélange of influences is epitomised by the meandering river Dean that runs by the chinoserie T’Ing House and Pagoda bridge, the rustic ‘Gothick’ of the Hermitage and Rat House and the classical serenity of the Temple to Diana. Adding to this collection we have recently and literally unearthed two unique and sophisticated water features. On an axis with the Temple to Diana stands the stonework cascade with its scallop shaped pool. Above the seven metre high and wide rusticated stone structure lay the figure of a river god. Last year saw water flowing down its remarkably intact structure, a sight not seen since the 1780′s. After removing many tonnes of accumulated debris and fallen trees the original complex water supply has been restored and the sight and sound of it rushing adds new drama to the sylvan delights of this Arcadia.