MSO7698 - North Park; medieval deer park northeast of Nettlecombe Court (Monument)

Centred ST 059 384. A park northeast of Nettlecombe manor house was mentioned in 1532, and measured 80 acres in 1556. Timber from the park was regularly sold for shipbuilding, church repairs and other purposes, and was shipped out of Watchet in 1591 to build a market house in Cornwall. A second park south of the house was created in the 18th Century, probably because the old park was low lying and more suited to meadow than to pasture. (See illustration for extent in 1839). [1-4] The old park north of the house consisted of only 20 acres about 150 years ago. [5] Additional bibliography. [6] Parkland to the north of Nettlecombe Court, 16 hectares. With Lower and Island Ponds within the groups. [7] It was superseded by the park around the house (MSO7717). Grant of a park was made to Simon de Raleigh in the time of Edward III. [8] Contains fishponds (MSO7718) and a keepers lodge at ST 0590 3848. [9] Nettlecombe Park was first mentioned in a survey of Nettlecombe dated 1532 located northeast of the Court. By 1556 a survey of the estate reported that the park was 80 acres in extent. Contemporary accounts suggest that the deer park was an important resource for the Trevelyans because as Lords of the Manor, they regularly supplemented their income, as was common, by permitting local people to graze their cattle and sheep on the park. In 1619 the park was described as being just under 70 acres, comprising the 8 acre 'Nether Lawn', 12 acres 'Myddle Lawn', 10 acres of 'Yonder Lawn above the rayles' and 38 acres 'Park below the rayles', showing subdivision for the control of grazing. The park also provided massive oak timbers for the navy and building work. Variously called the North, Old Park or the Park Meadows, this area is centred around Keepers Cottage and Home Farm. The field pattern is of modern fenced enclosures, such that the original deer park boundary cannot be confirmed on the ground. [11] Th einformation provided in the 2003 Parkland Plan [11] was updated in 2016. The North Park has also been known as the Old Park or the Park Meadows and is centred around Keepers Cottage and Home Farm. The area is partly low lying, all permanent pasture, adjoining Woodford. The field pattern is of modern fenced enclosures, such that the original deer park boundary cannot be confirmed on the ground. The few remaining trees in this area adjacent to the old entrance are of 19th Century origin. Nettlecombe was held by Godwin, son of Harold in 1066. The original grant of free warren (right to enclose and hunt over a defined area including hare, rabbits and the like) was made to Simon de Ralegh in 1304. There was no mention of the creation of a deer park in the grant, although deer were frequently introduced into warrens at a later date. The first mention of the park appears in a survey of Nettlecombe in 1532, mentioning a park located northeast of the Court, and also an indenture of the same year when the house and park were let by John Trevelyan of Yarnscombe to John Sydenham and his family. A survey of the estate in 1556 reported that the park was 80 acres in extent. It was first mapped by Saxton in 1575, where it is depicted north of the Court as a fenced enclosure. The estate had established a good reputation for the supply of timber by 1591, exported from Watchet harbour; the maiden sessile oak providing massive oak timbers not just for the Navy but also for the long straighter sections used in buildings, rare from open grown English oaks. There are records of deer and fruit cultivation from the estate from the 16th Century, with the original walled garden immediately north of the court believed to date from the Tudor period (a single substantial stone wall survives). [12] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [13]