Monument record 478 - Fawsley Park

Landscape park to Fawsley Hall, emparked in 1245-46 and enlarged during the reign of Elizabeth I. Landscaping had taken place by 1741 with the establishment of ponds and a series of interconnecting rides and avenues. Lancelot Brown is documented as laying out the grounds in 1763.

{1} Valentine Knightley Esq. Map appears to show the drives through the park largely as they are today, the formal structure having been replaced by more 'naturalised' features.

{2} Parkland of 120ha. Gardens are undated. Parkland was designed by Capability Brown in 1763. House is C16th. Remains of terraced gardens; canal and lakes; possible former garden earthworks around the Dower House. 18th c. stables to north are possibly by Francis Smith and are grade 2.
{4} Hugh Walpole, visits to country seats "ground Brown is laying out and making a large piece of water", July 1763. Plans believed extant in 1943 now missing.

{3} Documentary sources identify this as Fawsley Park.

{6} Brown received £388 for work done 1763-6. Early maps show large interesting lakes on three sides of house and church.

{7} Improved by Brown 1763.

{16} Park stocked with deer.

{17} All old enclosure and property of Sir Charles Knightley Bart. In 1442 Richard Knightley purchased Fawsley, M.P. for Northants came from Gnowshall, Staffs. Park and Badby wood nearly 700 acres. Deer beautifully diversified. New park incorporated in old one. Enclosed in reign of Elizabeth and a secondary mansion "The Lodge" erected.

{19} Mr Knightley a man of great lands hath his principal house not sumptious thing.

{20} Description of the parkland.

{21} Village deserted 1450-1700. Manor purchased by R. Knightley in 1415, by 1547 2,500 sheep were kept here. Mansion and church in park.

{25} At Fawsley the park created by Capability Brown has as its centrepiece a great lake, or so it appears when viewed form the house. The lake begins close to the hall itself and seems to stretch the full length of the park, entirely filling a broad open valley. In fact it is not one pond but two. A single lake would have been impossible to construct for it would have required a huge dam and would have covered half the park. Brown cunningly set one pond slightly below the first, so that, viewed from upstream, the dam is almost invisible and the land seems to be dominated by a single sheet of water. Careful observation of this type not only allows us an understanding of the mechanics of the construction but also enables us better to appreciate the achievement of a designer such as Brown.

{26} Detailed plan of the parkland in 1741. Appears to show superimposed pencil markings of proposed 'improvements', presumably post-1741, but not known whether any of these were enacted. Many of the 1741 features can still be traced today.

{29} Summary of a 1619 Lease by Richard Knightly to a John Guill, mentioning the lodge, park, deer stock, rabbits and mangement of wood/timber. (NRO K634).

{30} The Manor of Fawsley was bought in AD 1416 by Richard Knightly and held by his descendants until AD 1938. A deer park had been created in the area some time after AD 1331 and this was enlarged during the reign of Elizabeth in the second half of the C16th, the enlargement area being termed the “New Park”. The Dower House stands in this enlargement area.

{31} The park was emparked in 1245-46 and enlarged during the reign of Elizabeth I. Landscaping had taken place by 1741 with the establishment of ponds and a series of interconnecting rides and avenues. Lancelot Brown is documented as laying out the grounds in 1763.

{34} Landscape park to Fawsley Hall created in 1763 by Capability Brown, much of his design has been damaged by ploughing but included a lake and ornamental canal. The park also includes remains of terraced gardens to the south of the hall. The date of these gardens is uncertain.

{35} The park was emparked in 1245-46 and enlarged during the reign of Elizabeth I. Landscaping had taken place by 1741 with the establishment of ponds and a series of interconnecting rides and avenues. Lancelot Brown is documented as laying out the grounds in 1763.

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

<2> 1908, Country Life (04/07/1908), (unchecked) (Journal). SNN9100.

<3> 1955, OS 6 INCH MAP, SP55NE (unchecked) (Map). SNN9099.

<4> Stroud D., 1962, Humphry Repton, (unchecked) (Book). SNN19111.

<5> Stroud D., 1975, Capability Brown, (unchecked) (Book). SNN42133.

<6> Turner R., 1985, Capability Brown and The Eighteenth Century English Landscape, p.177 (unchecked) (Book). SNN42509.

<7> BURT J., Note, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN45154.

<8> Saxton, 1576, Map of Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire & Rutland, (unchecked) (Map). SNN42112.

<9> Speed J., 1610, Map of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Map). SNN559.

<10> EVANS J.; BRITTON J., 1813, The Beauties of England & Wales, p.65 (unchecked) (Engraving). SNN58943.

<11> 1855, The Cottage Gardener (15), p.21-22+54-5 (unchecked) (Series). SNN54848.

<12> 1863, The Cottage Gardener (30), p.124-5 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN54910.

<13> 1908, Country Life (1908), p.18-27 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN58641.

<15> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<16> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.61 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<17> Baker G., 1822-36, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN10400.

<18> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, (unchecked) (Series). SNN77381.

<19> Leland J., 1543, Itinerary, (unchecked) (Series). SNN13988.

<20> Evans J., 1813, The Beauties of England and Wales (Northamptonshire), (unchecked) (Book). SNN44614.

<21> Allison K.J.; Beresford M.W.; Hurst J.G. et al, 1966, The Deserted Villages of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN39628.

<22> English Heritage, 1991, Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (1991, Northamptonshire), (checked) (Report). SNN1167.

<23> Mowl T.; Hickman C., 2008, The Historic Gardens of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN106082.

<24> Wilson R., 1993, A Brief History of Fawsley Church and Park, (unchecked) (Booklet). SNN57145.

<25> Taylor C., 1983, The Archaeology of Gardens, p.60 (checked) (Series). SNN41440.

<26> 1741, Map of Fawsley, (unchecked) (Map). SNN8611.

<27> Ordnance Survey, 1811-9, First Edition Ordnance Survey Surveyors Drawings, (unchecked) (Map). SNN104902.

<28> Knightley R., 1619, Fawsley Park Lease (NRO K634), (unchecked) (Document). SNN109291.

<29> FOARD G., Undated, Supplementary File, (part checked) (Notes). SNN51725.

<30> Howard R.E.; Laxton R.R.; Litton C.D., 1999, Tree-Ring Analysis Of Timbers From The Dower House, Fawsley Park, Fawsley, Nr Daventry, (checked) (Report). SNN105702.

<31> Stamper P., 1998, Fawsley Hall GD2035 (Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England), (checked) (Report). SNN107104.

<32> Gordan P. (Editor), 1999, Politics And Society: The Journals of Lady Knightley of Fawsley 1885 to 1913, (unchecked) (Book). SNN100002.

<33> Cadman G, 1994, Fawsley Park, 1994 (Plan). SNN111072.

<34> English Heritage, Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (Northamptonshire), Part 30 (Report). SNN113766.

<35> English Heritage, Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (2004, Northamptonshire), Part 30 (Report). SNN116093.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 8:41PM