Monument record 4178/0/1 - Medieval Deer Park

Deer park emparked by Walter de Langton in the late 13th century.

{1} Deer Park (centred SP 786902), occupies a roughly rectangular area of some 16 hectares S.W. of the village and against the parish boundary with Weston-byWelland. It lies on clay, on both sides of a small combe, between 110 m. and 130 m. above OD. The park was made in the late 13th century when Walter de Langton, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, had licence 'to enclose and impark his wood of Asshele and 12 acres of land adjoining thereto within the metes of the forest' (Cal. Pat. 1281–92, 388).
The bounds of the original park, and perhaps of the additional two acres, can be traced on the ground in banks and in some botanically rich, and therefore ancient, hedges which define the area. The greater part, some 14 hectares known today and in 1807 as Wood Close (NRO, Enclosure Map), is surrounded on all sides by a low bank, much mutilated in places but generally about 4 m. wide and 1.5 m. high. Because of the slope of the land this bank often appears to be very substantial on the down-slope side but is barely visible on the upslope side and in places becomes a scarp rather than a bank, for example at the E. end of the S. boundary (at SP 79609007), where it is 7 m. wide and 1 m. high. The hedges of the N., W. and S. sides are outside the banks and mostly thorn with some elder and blackthorn, but the hedge on the E. side is botanically much richer. The number of species present here indicates that it could be old enough to be the original 13th-century hedge. To the E. of Wood Close is a narrow enclosure (centred SP 78759012), known as Tanners Close on the map of 1807. This close, of a little over 1 hectare, also has a bank along its S. side, continuous with the S. boundary of Wood Close. Along its E. side a small stream has been canalised and embanked and here too is an ancient hedge, rich in species. It is possible that Tanners Close represents the '2 acres' added to the original park in the 13th century. There is no ridge-and-furrow in either Wood Close or Tanners Close, but it is traceable up to the boundary in the surrounding fields to the W., S. and E. and along most of the N. side.

{6}Walter de Langton, king's clerk, had license to enclose and impart his wood in 1293.

{4}Documentary evidence of the medieval deer park of Ashley; in 1290-1 licence to inclose Ashele Wood with 12 acres of land as a park by Walter de Langton;

{5} In 1293 the park was enlarged by 2 acres purchased from Guy de Waterville.

{11} The perimeter of this park was not established in field investigation.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.2/Site 3 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<2> 1807, Enclosure Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN42602.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP79SE25 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<4> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.272 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<5> ESC.ANNO 18 EDW 1 N120, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN42605.

<6> STEANE J.M., 1975, The Medieval Parks of Northamptonshire, p.219 (Article). SNN37713.

<7> ESC.ANNO 20 EDW 1 N75, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN42606.

<8> ESC.ANNO 15 EDW 11 N44, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN42607.

<9> Shirley E.P., 1867, English Deer Parks: Northamptonshire, p.148 (unchecked) (Extract). SNN100129.

<10> 1975, Northamptonshire Past and Present (5/3), p. 219 (Journal). SNN7308.

<11> Woodhouse, W C, 1959, Field investigators comments, F1 WCW 28-SEP-1959 (Notes). SNN113006.

Record last edited

Dec 5 2022 9:17AM