Monument record 3475/0/1 - Boundary of Medieval Deer Park

{1} The best preserved section of the park pale is in the north-west corner of the park, north-west of Little Horton Wood (SP817526). There is a broad bank 12m wide x 1.5m high from the inside, which is preserved in pasture, though ploughing at some period has over-run and broken down the south-west side of the bank, giving it an asymmetrical profile. This bank extends as far as a small stream, where it is broken. Beyond this stream the bank continues across the centre of little Horton Wood, roughly parallel to one of the rides. Here, although it has been altered by a modern drainage ditch on its inner north-east side, it is still traceable, up to 1.5m high and 10m wide. Beyond the southern edge of the wood the boundary probably followed a modern curving hedge-line as far as the county boundary (SP82075180), but no trace of an ancient bank remains here or along the assumed park boundary, north to the south-east corner of Horton Woods (SP827519). However, just on the Buckinghamshire side of the county boundary (at SP823513) air photographs show a broad bank running roughly parallel with the existing hedge; it has been reduced by ploughing to a slight rise. Along the south-east side of Horton Woods is a well-marked bank, 8m wide x 1.5m high, which can be traced as far as the extreme north-east corner of the wood (SP828531). The assumed boundary on the north-east side of the park is a modern hedge-line and no trace of any bank survives. On air photographs taken in 1947 ridge and furrow is visible on both sides of the hedge and appears to be cut by it. Ridge and furrow is also visible within the park in other places, arranged in interlocking furlongs. It appears that at least part of this area occupied by the park was once arable land and thus the park may be of late medieval origin.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.65 Site 18 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

Record last edited

Nov 13 2018 1:54PM