Monument record 1015/0/1 - Deer Park Boundary

The boundary of the deer park is shown on a map of 1587 and this boundary can still be traced today as a hedge-line. In most parts of the boundary it can be traced as a normal hedge bank, but in some parts there is still a ditch.

{1} The map of 1587 shows the park as bounded by a continuous wooden fence. Except for one small part, all of the perimeter still exists as a hedge-line and can be traced from the north-east corner of Holdenby village (at SP697679) and along the south side of the road to Church Brampton as far as the parish boundary (at SP706675). It then followed the parish boundary south to the south-east corner of Holdenby parish (at SP704661) where it turned west, again along the parish boundary for some 400m (to SP701661). At this point the parish boundary turns south and then runs west along the stream. At Blackthorn Spinney (SP692662) the boundary swung north in a broad curve until it met the small south-east flowing stream a little to the south-west of Holdenby Church (SP689674). Along this section, although the bank is little more than a normal hedge bank, there is on the east side a steep-sided ditch 4m wide x 1m deep. Beyond the stream the boundary runs north-east for nearly 200m across the C19th landscaped park. Here it is a broad open ditch some 12m wide x 1.5m deep with ridge and furrow running parallel to it on the west side. This may in fact be an earlier feature re-used as the park boundary. The ditch then makes a right-angled turn and runs to a point just short of the south-west corner of the gardens of Holdenby House where it fades out. From there the boundary followed the southern edge of the west part of the main gardens, the west side of the churchyard and the south-west , south and east sides of the lower part of the gardens, and the edge of the large area known as The Green in 1587; it then re-joined the Brampton Road.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.109 Site 5 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<2> 1587, The Survey of The Manor of Holdenby made in 1587 (Finch-Hatton), (unchecked) (Map). SNN18147.

Record last edited

May 2 2024 10:08AM