Record Details

NHER Number:31636
Type of record:Monument
Name:High House Park

Summary

A late 18th century landscape park contains various earthworks that are visible on aerial photographs and at ground level. The park was doubled in size in the early 19th century, and the earthworks of an early 19th century formal garden survive near the house. A system of medieval field boundaries, hollow ways and an area of possible ridge and furrow have been preserved as earthworks in the parkland landscape.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 791 180
Map Sheet:TF71NE
Parish:CASTLE ACRE, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
WESTACRE, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

The first map of the site is from 1726 (S4). High House (NHER 3887) is shown to be surrounded by fields. Directly north and south of the House are enclosed areas, probably gardens and north-east are a series of farm buildings. It is not known when the park was laid out, but the first map to show the park was Faden’s map (S5) surveyed in 1794. A tree survey indicated that the park was started in the second half of the 18th century. Faden’s map shows the park to be c.45 hectares. There are three blocks of woodland in the north-west, south-west and south-east corners of the park. The drive to the House comes from the west.
The c.1815 Draught Ordnance Survey map (S1) shows that the park extended after 1794 in several directions to c.75 hectares. By c.1815, the drive was at the south of the House. There is a circular feature west of the Hall, possibly ornamental planting around the kitchen garden. The park continued to expand as the 1824 Ordnance survey map (S6) shows. The area between the park and the west road was planted up, and given a serpentine edge inside the park. A flint faced, walled Ha-Ha was built inside the edge of this tree belt. The park expanded north-east and south-east. The north-east corner was edged with trees. The old drives were removed and two new drives were built, which crossed the park to the House from the south-west and south-east corners. This map shows the circular feature with a rectangular feature within, the kitchen garden. By 1824 the park was c.125 hectares. By the late 19th century, the kitchen garden was extended north with a large semi-circular wall. It was surrounded by woodland.
The 1906 6 inch Ordnance Survey map (S7) shows that the south-west and west tree belts were extended to meet at the south-west drive. A small block of woodland was planted south-west of the northern Hall Farm (NHER 2149), screening it from view of the House. There is an Icehouse (NHER 3888) west of the kitchen garden.
Within the last c.100 years there has been replanting, and today the park covers c.130 hectares. There is a horseshoe shape earthwork directly north of the House, probably a garden feature, demolished before 1815. The majority of trees are Limes and oaks.
See NAU aerial photographs.
See (S1), (S4), (S5), (S6) and (S7).
E. Rose (NLA) 7 December 1995.
Updated by C. Hurst (UEA), 14 November 2011.

December 1996. Earthwork Survey.
Survey at 1:2500 for all features in grassland, with survey at 1:1000 for those to north of High House.
Includes brick kiln sites.
See report (S3) for further details and copy of plan (S8). This survey is also noted in (S9).
B. Cushion (NLA) January 1997. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 8 April 2015.

1997.
Possible very slight ridge and furrow in enclosure 'A' on park survey, aligned east to west.
Not surveyed.
1 pottery sherd 20m northeast of southeast corner of enclosure 'A'.
Identified by A. Rogerson (NLA) as sandy fabric, sparsely flint gritted. Iron Age or Early Saxon.
B. Cushion (NLA) February 1997.

Monument Types

  • CAUSEWAY (Undated)
  • ENCLOSURE (Undated)
  • LINEAR FEATURE (Undated)
  • POND (Undated)
  • TRACKWAY (Undated)
  • BANK (EARTHWORK) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FIELD BOUNDARY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FIELD SYSTEM (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HOLLOW WAY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PARISH BOUNDARY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • RIDGE AND FURROW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BANK (EARTHWORK) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BRICK KILN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • CHALK PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • CLAY PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FIELD BOUNDARY (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • GARDEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HA HA (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • KITCHEN GARDEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • PARK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • PARK PALE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • SAND PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • TREE BELT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • POT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • POT (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)

Protected Status

  • SHINE
  • Higher Level Stewardship

Sources and further reading

---Monograph: Williamson, T.. 1998. Archaeology of the Landscape Park: Garden Design in Norfolk, England, c. 1680-1840.. BAR (British Series). Vol 268. p 139.
---Map: Ordnance Survey. 1824-1836. Ordnance Survey First Edition 1 inch..
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Unpublished Document: Norfolk County Council. [unknown]. Inventory of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Norfolk..
<S2>Designation: English Heritage. Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England..
<S3>Unpublished Report: Cushion, B. 1997. West Acre High House Park SMR 3887, 3888, 29824 & 31636. Earthwork Survey Report.
<S4>Map: NRO. 1726. A plan of the pasture and arable lands of the manor of High House in the parish of Westacre.. 4 poles: 1 inch.
<S5>Publication: Faden, W. and Barringer, J. C. 1989. Faden's Map of Norfolk in 1797.
<S6>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1824-1836. Ordnance Survey First Edition 1 inch..
<S7>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1906 to 1907. Ordnance Survey 2nd edition 6 inch map.
<S8>Illustration: Cushion, B. 1996. Plan of earthworks at West Acre SMR 3887, 3888, 29824 & 31636(part). Film. 1:1000.
<S9>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 1998. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1997. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIII Pt I pp 193-210. p 208.

Related records

29824Parent of: Earthworks of possible medieval hollow ways, enclosures and field systems (Monument)
3888Parent of: Post-medieval icehouse (Monument)
52595Related to: High House Formal Gardens (Monument)
3887Related to: High House, West Acre (Westacre Hall) (Building)
31886Related to: Prehistoric flint and multi-period pottery sherds (Find Spot)

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