Monument record 2520 - Lyveden Deer Park (Old & New)

Deer park created in the 14th century. It was extended in the 16th century.

{3} In 1328 medieval deer park owner Robert de Wyvill was granted a licence to impark.

{4} There is no park here, only woods.

{6} A licence was given to Robert de Wyvill, king’s clerk, in 1328 to inclose, impark and hold in fee simple his wood of Lytelhawe by Lyveden if it be not within the metes of the forest. This seems to be the origin of the Old Park marked on C18th maps in NRO of Brigstock and the area. It is midway between the site of the deserted settlement at Lyveden and the forest village of Brigstock, and would formerly have been on the edge of cultivation between the two, probably near the ‘magnam trenchiam’ mentioned in the Forest Rolls.
In 1540 Sir Thomas Tresham was given licence to impark 120 acres of wood, 250 acres of pasture and 50 acres of meadow in Lyveden, commonly called Lyveden Park “whereof the eastern side abuts upon Bareshanke Wood and Whynney Grene in Pylton and the western side abuts upon a wood called Sherylappe and Sudburgh Green, and the south side upon the wood of the said Sir Thomas called Ladywood and Bradyhawe, and the north side abuts on the highway called Harlowe Rydyng and the closes of the said Sir Thomas, now in the tenures if John Ayhyns and John Palmer.
It seems as if Sir Thomas Tresham added to the Old Park a substantial part of what had been the open fields surrounding the deserted village as well as the site of the village itself, which is on both sides of the stream several hundred yards to the east of Lyveden Old Bield.

Earthworks of the rampart of the deer park. The boundaries of the Old and New Park are fairly obvious on the ground. The Harley Way (the road between Brigstock and Oundle) defines the park on the north. On the west side of the Old Park a ride runs on top of the park boundary mound from Harley Way south to Slings Nook. There is no sign of the mound north of Slings Wood, but it is picked up again with a considerable ditch to the east of Slings Nook at SP971854. It has been ploughed but can be seen as a light gravelly band running across the field to Lady Wood, and south of Lyveden New Bield is one of the finest preserved pieces of park pale in the county (at SP984851).

{7} Deer Park (centred SP 975857), in the extreme E. of the parish, immediately W. of the deserted village of Lyveden (Pilton (6)), on Boulder Clay between 62m. And 92m. Above OD. A licence was given to Robert de Wyvill in 1328 to enclose, empark and hold in fee simple his wood of Lytelhawe by Lyveden. Nothing is known of its later
history, but this area is called the Old Park on the 18th century maps of Brigstock (NRO). The north boundary of the park is the present Harley Way between Oundle and Brigstock, but no trace of a bank is visible. The west side is bounded by a large bank up to 1.5m. High which follows the east edge of Cherry Lap Wood and the east side of
Sling's Nook Wood. The boundary then apparently followed the present Brigstock-Aldwincle boundary to a point just west of the gardens of Lyveden New Bield [SP 98 NE 5]. It then ran north along the Brigstock- Benefield boundary, back to Harley Way. There is no trace of a boundary bank on this alignment. In 1540 Sir Thomas Tresham was given licence to enclose 320 acres of land to S. in Aldwincle parish.

{8} A licence to impark at Lyveden was granted in 1328. In 1540 the Treshams acquired a like grant to impark 420 acres (170ha) of land around the Old Bield. In the 1580s and 1590s there were several lawsuits arising from unlawful hunting there.

<1> Saxton, 1576, Map of Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire & Rutland, (unchecked) (Map). SNN42112.

<2> Speed J., 1610, Map of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Map). SNN559.

<3> BURT J., NOTE, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN45417.

<4> Eyre T. (Revised by Jefferys T.), 1779, Map of the County of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Map). SNN1852.

<5> Cantor L., 1983, The Medieval Parks of England: A Gazetteer, p.54 (unchecked) (Gazetteer). SNN101447.

<6> STEANE J.M., 1975, The Medieval Parks of Northamptonshire, p.227-8 (checked) (Article). SNN37713.

<7> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.186/Site 18 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<8> Stamper P., 2000, Lyveden New Bield (Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England), (checked) (Report). SNN106559.

Record last edited

Sep 18 2023 2:03PM