Monument record 8043 - Finedon Hall Park

{1} Sir William Dolben; no enclosed park shown, rows of trees only, suggestive of parkland layout.

{2} 1805 map of Finedon Park.

{3} Drawing No 15: Temple in shrubbery at Finedon.

{4} Catalogue of George Carter 1983. "Designs not executed". J English Dolben 1793. Repton first visit - March 1793. Private collection. Literature - listed in Repton's "Sketches and Hints". 1795 J English Dolben converted his wealth into alcohol and Repton's designs not executed.

{5} Improved by Repton; sketches with hints on landscape gardening, published 1794.

{12} Sir Gilbert Dolben Lord of the Manor hath here a very good mansion housem Manor sold by Thomas Brudenall to Thomas Mulso, Esq by 30th year of reign of Henry 8th (1539). Mulso passed to his son-in-law Dolben. Illustration of Finedon Place (p259). Sir Gilbert Dolben created baronet 1704 and Sir Gilbert Dolben purchased rest of manor from his brother now Lord of the Manor.

{13} "Stateliest walk of lime trees", quickset hedges, rows of hollies made up land to horizontal.

{15} Avenues of trees ran east and north from the north end of the hall.

{16} The area to the west of the trial trench evaluation contains a number of garden features including a stone ‘grotto’, ponds, artificial stone ruins, and a ring of yew trees. The features probably relate to ‘The Grove’ indicated on the First Series Ordnance Survey map of 1835. The area is depicted in more detail on the 1:2500 County map of 1884-6. The map depicts a circular feature correlating with the ring of yew trees, and an irregular pond or lake to the northeast.

{17} There are a few surviving illustrations of the house and park as it appeared towards the end of the
eighteenth century and these show a more classical house set within a typically landscaped park
with a lake in the foreground, clumps of trees and a boathouse.

By 1877 {19}, the area between the lake and the hall to the north depicts a series of formal garden beds including the ‘Chain Walk’ and circular planting beds. Immediately to the west of the hall is what appears to be one large circular planting area and connected to it by a serpentine and section of straight path a second of similar size circled by a path; this second bed appears to have later become the large circular pond present to the south of the current lodge house.

By the time of the First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1884 the irregular pool associated with the
rockery/grotto is present. The Chain Walk and circular beds are also depicted and thus it appears that the water feature and stonework were therefore created between 1877 and 1884.

<1> Eyre T. (Revised by Jefferys T.), 1779, Map of the County of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Map). SNN1852.

<2> 1805, Map of Finedon (NRO Map 625?), (unchecked) (Map). SNN33701.

<3> 1815, NRO DF(8), (unchecked) (Sketch Book). SNN48397.

<4> 1983, George Carter Catalogue, (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN48399.

<5> BURT J., NOTE, (unchecked) (Note). SNN44547.

<6> Dolben papers, (unchecked) (Archive). SNN54359.

<7> REPTON H., 1794, Sketches And Hints, p.42-3 (unchecked) (Sketch Book). SNN60778.

<8> 1901, Country Life (1901), p.48-54 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN60404.

<9> , 1950, Ordnance Survey 2.5 Inch Series, SP97 (unchecked) (Map). SNN54953.

<10> 1983, GARDEN, 365 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN54972.

<12> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.256 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<13> Morton J., 1712, The Natural History of Northamptonshire, p.485 (unchecked) (Book). SNN10113.

<14> Mowl T.; Hickman C., 2008, The Historic Gardens of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN106082.

<15> 1808, Finedon Enclosure Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN108745.

<16> Trimble, R., 2014, Land off Mackworth Drive, Finedon Hall, Finedon, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Trial Trench Evaluation, 2014 (Report). SNN110657.

<17> Prentice, J and Walker, C., 2015, A group of nineteenth-century garden features formerly belonging to Finedon Hall, Northamptonshire: A Heritage Asset Survey, 2015 (Report). SNN110658.

<19> 1877, Map of Estate of Mrs Mackworth-Dolben (Map). SNN110659.

Record last edited

May 2 2017 12:20PM