Description:Amongst papers relating to life of the Trentham Estate in the eighteenth century are accounts describing building work undertaken on the Estate in 1777. The ‘Scheme of Building at Trentham in 1777’ describes building work and repairs made to the houses of tenants on the Trentham Estate and the new Trentham Inn.
The accounts state that the plans described would be fixed upon and no further alterations made. In addition, plans of the buildings were to be drawn and accurate estimates made for all workmanship.
The accounts describe work to be done at a property owned by a lady called Widow Caper on the Trentham Estate. The document states ‘remove the Widow Caper so as the repairs may be done and the house made ready’.
The ‘Barn stable cowhouses’ at Widow Caper’s property were to be pulled down and timber from other properties used to undertake renovations and repairs. Materials left over from work on the ‘New Inn’ at Trentham were also to be used at Widow Caper's house.
During February and March buildings around the site of the New Inn were to be pulled down and workmen were to ‘take an account of ye Timber’ and ‘remove the materials to the place where the new inn must stand’. Once the New Inn was complete the ‘brickes and Timber’ of the old Inn were to be used to ‘rebuild the Offices for the new Inn’.