Monument record 5634 - Drayton House Park

Landscape park and formal gardens to Drayton House. The park was landscaped circa 1700 and was extensively planted with trees during the mid 19th century and late 20th century. The garden layout was establised during the 1580s. A parterre, designed by Tilleman Bobart, was laid out in 1700 and contains statuary by John Van Nost. Between 1700 and 1703 planting of limes within the gardens and park by Henry Wise took place. A parterre designed by William Andrews Nesfield was laid out in 1846.

{1} Lord George Germain (+ 1791 2nd edition).

{2} "Drayton House 1849"; view of house from large rectangular pond to east.

{3} Walpole visits and describes the house as part of his visits to country seats.

{4} Two volumes - 1892, 1683-1799 pub 1904. 2nd 1758-1782 pub 1910.

{5} Huntingdon Shaw was the foreman under Tijon. Medieval archives at Northamptonshire Records Office, others at the house.

{6} Third Earl of Peterborough 1730's (with a ferme ornee at Bevois Mount).

{20} "Village and castelle, the pratiest place in these quarters, longging as kelepe dooth, in copartion unto the Lord de Mordant. "Castle" most buildid by Grene (Rich II)".

{23} Drayton House lies towards the centre of a roughly square park c 1km in diameter; the perimeter is defined by a ditch and a post and rail fence, and there is a shelter belt around much of the park. The interior is almost entirely permanent pasture, and there are extensive areas of well-preserved ridge and furrow, for instance between the main drive and the park’s southern boundary. The park is well supplied with mature parkland trees; there seems to have been a phase of planting in the mid C19, and the late C20 has seen a renewed interest in the parkland planting.
The park is crossed by several avenues. The most important of these is the Lime Avenue, which carries the main axial line north-east from the centre of the east parterre for 500m to the park boundary. This point is also the eastern end of the Oak Avenue, also known as the Church Avenue because of its alignment on Lowick church. Both avenues were planted in the early C18 and still contain many trees likely to be original plantings. The avenue south-west from the House, the Slipton Avenue, of lime and walnut (planted 1965) is under-planted with Norway spruce and shrubs on rotation.
The early C18 landscaping scheme included a double avenue of elms (Pall Mall) from either side of the forecourt, running on straight lines 400m south-east, uphill to the park boundary on the skyline. The avenue was replanted in 1977 with lime, walnut and London plane and at the head are tall stone gate piers with elaborate gates and railings of c 1700, probably by Jean Tijou (listed grade I).
About 1982 Alan Mitchell planted the Arboretum, which incorporated older cedars, as a narrow strip down the west side of the drive which runs on a straight line south-east from the House.
It is not known when the present park was created, although it would seem at least possible that it was c 1700 when so much was done to the House and its surrounds. A late C18 map shows the park much as it is today, although with a rather more complex network of avenues.

{24} The park was landscaped circa 1700 and was extensively planted with trees during the mid 19th century and late 20th century. The garden layout was establised during the 1580s. A parterre designed by Tilleman Bobart was laid out in 1700 and contained statuary by John Van Nost. Between 1700 and 1703 planting of limes within the gardens and park by Henry Wise took place. A parterre designed by William Andrews Nesfield was laid out in 1846.

FOARD G.R., Oral Report to SMR, (unchecked) (Oral Report). SNN51307.

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

<2> CLARKE G., 1849, Pencil Sketches, 25 (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN46350.

<3> GOTCH J.A., 1940, Manor Houses of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN58776.

<4> STOPFORD SACKVILLE N., Untitled Source, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN45142.

<5> BURT J., NOTE, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN45140.

<6> Jacques D., Georgian Gardens, p.31 (unchecked) (Book). SNN42524.

<7> Society of Gentlemen, 1769, England Displayed, p.366 (unchecked) (Series). SNN58961.

<8> JONES, 1829, Views, (unchecked) (Series). SNN58962.

<9> TRIGGS H.I., 1902, Formal Gardens in England and Scotland, 19-20 (unchecked) (Book). SNN55447.

<10> 1909, Country Life (1909), 528-9 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN58754.

<11> 1912, Country Life (1912), 898-908; 934-44 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN54843.

<12> JEKYLL G., 1918, GARDEN ORNAMENT, 51; 85; 95; 91; 210; 314 (unchecked) (Book). SNN58966.

<13> LADY ROCKLEY, 1938, Historic Gardens of England, 110-11 (unchecked) (Book). SNN56174.

<14> STOPFORD SACKVILLE N., 1939, DRAYTON, 942 NOR DRA/STO (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN58930.

<15> Cornforth J., 1965, Drayton House, p.1146-50 (unchecked) (Article). SNN58965.

<16> Cornforth J., 1965, Drayton House, p.1216-29 (unchecked) (Article). SNN108513.

<17> Cornforth J., 1965, Country Life (1965), p.1286-89 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN108514.

<18> Cornforth J., 1965, Country Life (1965), p.1346-50 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN108515.

<19> Binney M.; Hills A., 1979, Elysian Gardens, 14 (unchecked) (Article). SNN42578.

<20> Leland J., 1543, Itinerary, (unchecked) (Series). SNN13988.

<21> Morton J., 1712, The Natural History of Northamptonshire, p.493-94 (unchecked) (Book). SNN10113.

<22> Mowl T.; Hickman C., 2008, The Historic Gardens of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN106082.

<23> English Heritage, 1984, Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (1984, Northamptonshire), (checked) (Report). SNN46781.

<24> English Heritage, 1984, Register of Parks & Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (1984, Northamptonshire), Northamptonshire, revised 28-May-2004/Part 30 (Report). SNN46781.

Record last edited

Feb 5 2025 6:21PM