Monument record 4770 - Easton Neston Park

Landscape park, pleasure grounds and formal gardens to Easton Neston House. The landscape park was created circa 1700 and altered between 1791-1806 and in 1819. The gardens and pleasure gardens were laid out during the 17th century and may have included advice by Sir Christopher Wren in 1684. A 1719 view of the gardens shows a walled parterre garden. The pleasure grounds had been extended by 1806. The current formal gardens were laid out circa 1920.

{5} William Fermor purchased Easton Neston 1527. Merchant of the staple at Calais. Old inclosure of Sir Richard Empson from 1499. Licence to impark 400 acres of land and 30 acres of wood and permission to embattle manor house which stood between river and wood. Engraving p145.

{6} Magnificent seat of the Earl of Pomfret or Pontefract. In the 14th year of Henry VII, Sir Richard Empson "the great oppressor" obtained licence from crown to inclose a park in townsfields and parishes of Easton Neston and Hulcote. Paul Rainolds idemtified as Keeper of Easton Park in a will of 1617.

{7} A small park was created c.1500 by Sir Richard Empson by enclosure of 64 acres arable and pasture, also converted 24 acres arable to pasture. 1541 mention of manor house in park, meadow and pasture.

{8} In gardens is much statuary from Stowe. Canal, pool and avenue east of house belong to the original layout.

{9} Description of statuary.

{11} Mostly deserted by the family.

{12} Documentary evidence; formal gardens, pleasure grounds and landscape park of 300 hectares. The early C20th garden was based on the C18th original. Records go back to the C12th. It was first acquired by the Fermors in 1527. A valuation of the property by Sir R.Fermor is held in the Northampton Records Office.

{18} Easton Neston estate has been put for sale by Lord Hesketh for £50 million, but it has been one of the last great houses in England to have remained truly and defiantly private.

{19} Will Somers was born in Easton Neston and became a family servant to Richard Fermor. His wit quickly came to the attention of the family and he was made into the jester; he was introduced to Henry VIII in 1525, and the monarch was so taken with him, that he was made the Kings Jester.

{21} Documentary evidence for a medieval deer park at Easton Neston. In 1498, 400 acres of land and 30 acres of woodland were enclosed, but the actual boundaries of the original park are unknown.

{23} Late in the period of park creation.

{24} Between 1795-1806 the park was extended to incorporate land up to the Northampton Road and Meadow and to include an ornamental lake, The Broadwater.

{31} (SP 7019 4925) Easton Neston Park, associated with the house of the same name. A skeleton record was created for RCHME's Easton Neston Survey, undertaken in March 1994. Easton Neston Park was created in 1498 when Richard Empson, Henry VII's minister obtained a license to empark 400 acres of land and 30 acres of wood in the parishes of Easton Neston and Hulcote. Late medieval deer parks tended not to have major earthwork boundaries, so the original park boundary is not easily visible.

The park was developed into a lansdcape park, probably at the time of the construction of the present Easton Neston House [SP 74 NW 22]. A section of The Great Avenue - a vista formed by a tree avenue which extends beyond the western boundary of the park (SP 64 NE 54) was the only element of the park recorded by RCHME. Its counterpart on the east side of the house was not recorded in the field. For further details, see RCHME Level 3 client report, held in archive.

{32} Medieval deer park emparked in 1498. The landscape park was created circa 1700 and contains early 18th century landscape features. Alterations to the park were made between 1791-1806 and in 1819. The gardens and pleasure gardens were laid out during the 17th century and may have included advice by Sir Christopher Wren in 1684. A 1719 view of the gardens shows a walled parterre garden. The pleasure grounds were extended by 1806. The current formal gardens were laid out circa 1920.

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

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

<3> Eyre T. (Revised by Jefferys T.), 1779, Map of the County of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Map). SNN1852.

<4> CAMDEN, 1806, Britannia, (unchecked) (Book). SNN47888.

<5> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.138 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77328.

<6> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.289 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<7> Allison K.J.; Beresford M.W.; Hurst J.G. et al, 1966, The Deserted Villages of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN39628.

<8> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<9> 1736, Letter from Walpole to Montague, (unchecked) (Correspondence). SNN45146.

<10> MORTON, Uncertain, (unchecked) (Book). SNN54845.

<11> Evans J., 1813, The Beauties of England and Wales (Northamptonshire), (unchecked) (Book). SNN44614.

<12> 1908, Country Life (1908), p.630-38 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN58641.

<13> 1927, Country Life (1927), p.262-9 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN58935.

<14> JEKYLL G., 1918, Garden Ornament, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN54846.

<15> Binney M.; Hills A., 1979, Elysian Gardens, p.3 (unchecked) (Article). SNN42578.

<16> Coats P., 1967, Great Gardens of Britain, p.240-45 (unchecked) (Book). SNN58937.

<17> Historical Manuscripts Commission, Report on Archives of Easton Neston, (unchecked) (Report). SNN54358.

<18> Chancellor A., 2004, Open It To The Public? Not Me, I'll Sell It First, (checked) (Article). SNN104740.

<19> Burman A., 2004, Fool Worked For The King, (checked) (Article). SNN104741.

<21> 1992, SMR Report Form, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN54225.

<22> Woodfield P., 1992, Towcester Retail Development: Historic Landscape Assessment, (checked) (Full Report). SNN46827.

<23> HALL D.N., 1993, Report, (checked) (Report). SNN45492.

<24> 1993, SMR Report Form, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN48881.

<25> Beresford C., 1993, Easton Neston, Northamptonshire: Historical Assessment of the Park, (part checked) (Full Report). SNN59608.

<26> Mowl T.; Hickman C., 2008, The Historic Gardens of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN106082.

<27> McKee H.; McCulloch P., 1997?, Easton Neston: A Study of Three Hundred Years of Landscape, (unchecked) (Dissertation). SNN48504.

<28> Kidd S., 1993, Towcester Retail Development, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Planning Assessment, p.13-4 (checked) (Report). SNN40438.

<29> Beresford C., 1992, SMR Report form, (part checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN107415.

<30> Hall, D, 1992, Easton Neston: Earthworks and field systems of medieval and later date preserved in Easton Neston Park, 1992 (Report). SNN113449.

<31> Kenney J.; Oswald A., 1994, RCHME: Easton Neston Survey (Report). SNN114416.

<32> English Heritage, 1994, Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (1994, Northamptonshire), Part 30 (Report). SNN1324.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 8:10PM