Monument record 4794 - Hartwell Deer Park

16th century deer park with earlier medieval origins. Extended by Henry VIII in 1531. The extent of the later park is well known as it is shown in detail on a map of Hartwell of 1768 when much of the area was covered by ridge and furrow. The site identified occupies a long narrow strip of land covering 130 hectares west of the parish.

{1} The extent of the later deer park is shown.

{2} 25 acres were medieval; the remaining 232 acres were emparked by Henry VIII. Hartwell Park was sold absolutely 'disparked for ever as well as from vert and hunting' to Endymion Porter for £2,100 in 1629. The timber was granted to him separately for £496. In 1633 Porter reconveyed it to the King who granted it again to Sir Robert Berkeley, who in turn alienated it to Sir Francis Crane.

{3} The park was made in about 1520 and is clearly post medieval because it cuts across several furlongs. In 1727 the whole of the park was considered to be in Hartwell.

{4} 25 acres of this park were medieval in origin. The remaining 232 acres were imparked by Henry VIII who in 1531 required Sir John Mordaunt to write to the officers of Salcey Forest and Moulton park commanding them to deliver to John Hartwell and Richard Wale oaks for a park pale to enlarge the original park and also to build a new park lodge. However in 1564 there will still only the original 25 forest acres and 460 oaks. In 1629 it was disparked for ever as well from vert and hunting.

{6} SP 773 492: Deer park which occupies a long narrow strip of land covering 130 hectares in the west of the parish, mainly on boulder clay between 70 metres and 107 metres above OD. A small park of only 25 acres (about 10 hectares) certainly existed in the medieval period. In 1531 Henry VIII enlarged this park, enclosing a further 232 acres (about 100 hectares) and built a new lodge which may have replaced an earlier one [SP 74 NE 16]. In 1699 the park was officially disparked. It is not possible to identify the medieval park with certainty though it may have lain on the south east side of a shallow valley immediately south west of Park Farm. A hollow-way visible on air photographs but now destroyed ran from the south corner of Park Farm curving gently southwest and crossing the stream in the valley bottom at SP 7755 4966. It then ran northwest towards Ashton. The part of the hollow-way east of the stream may have formed the southern boundary. The northern edge is impossible to determine but it may be represented by the hedge which runs southeast from the head of the stream towards Park Farm. Within this area there were three furlongs of ridge-and-furrow of medieval type.

The extent of the later park is well known as it is shown in detail on a map of Hartwell of 1768. Much of the area was covered by ridge-and-furrow. No substantial boundaries survive apart from normal hedgebanks. The southeast corner of this park extended into Hanslope parish, Buckinghamshire.

<1> 1768, Map of Hartwell (NRO Map G440), (unchecked) (Map). SNN26408.

<2> Pettit P.A.J., 1968, The Royal Forests of Northamptonshire: A Study in Their Economy 1558-1714, p.14+68+100-101+192 (checked) (Series). SNN42130.

<3> HALL D.N., 1975, Hartwell, Northamptonshire: A Parish Survey, p.7-9 (checked) (Article). SNN28079.

<4> STEANE J.M., 1975, The Medieval Parks of Northamptonshire, p.226 (checked) (Article). SNN37713.

<6> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.76+80 Site 8 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<7> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.52-3 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77327.

<8> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.184 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77328.

<9> 1727, Map of Hartwell (NRO Map G360), (unchecked) (Map). SNN72671.

<10> Hall D., 2001, The Woodland Landscapes of Southern Northamptonshire, p.33-46 (unchecked) (Article). SNN102520.

<11> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF CPE/UK/1926,1245-7 (Photographs). SNN104890.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 7:44PM