Record Details

NHER Number:29822
Type of record:Designed Landscape
Name:Felbrigg Park

Summary

This medieval and post medieval deer park was developed into a landscape park from the 17th century onwards. It surrounds a 17th century Jacobean mansion, NHER 6633. Humphry Repton may have been involved in designing the park in the late 18th century. A V-shaped plantation was planted to commemorate VE day.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 19580 39355
Map Sheet:TG13NE
Parish:AYLMERTON, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
FELBRIGG, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Park in existence before 1673. Great Wood planted 1673-87.
H. Repton consulted before 1795 but his involvement not known; both he and J. A. Repton made alterations to the hall in 1806.
Conifers planted by lake before 1793. However general layout is in Repton's style.
Victory V plantation made to commemorate VE Day.
See (S1).
The western valley is known as the Lion's Mouth, either from an oddly shaped tree formerly there or from the colour of the leaves in autumn.
(S2) calls it Lion's Gap, but this may be a mistake.
However there is a valley at Tilford, Surrey called Lion's Mouth which is on heathland with no trees, and a number of other occurences of the name have been found in 18th century documents. The term 'in the lion's mouth' could also mean, in danger of repossession.
E. Rose (NLA).

November 1983.
(S3) is a large rolled plan for hypothesis that the 17th century park was laid out in the shape of a lemon, cut into four quarters by a linear wall and ride. The physical evidence for this was not found to be convincing.
See (S4).
E. Rose (NLA) 30 June 1993.

Cromer Lodges are listed grade II, dated 1841.

1993.
(S5) states that the park was designed by Repton in 1778.
H. White, (NLA), 18 February 2010

1998
(S6) describes the park and makes an important reference to the filling in of a hollow way.
(S7) states it was a deer park from 15th to 17th century.
E. Rose (NLA) 15 September 2000.

2002.
Revision to (S1) greatly enlarged the area to the northwest.
E. Rose (NLA) 17 December 2002.

February 2010.
The Felbrigg estate covers some 1760 acres of parkland and mixed woodland. The dominant feature is the 520 acre Great Wood which shelters the house. The park is rectangular and covers about 440 hectares. It is almost entirely enclosed by boundary woodlands and plantations, with only a few gaps to the east and south. The park sits on a gentle slope from south to north, with the Hall sitting on the higher ground to the north, backed by rising woodland (the Great Wood). The surrounding woodlands preclude views out of the park, which internally focus on the Hall and St Margaret's church. The Lake, which is invisible from the Hall, was created in the mid-18th century by damming the Scarrow Beck. To the west and north, pasture woodland merges into the Great Wood.
See (S1) and (S8)- (S9) for further details,
H. White, (NLA), 18 February 2010

Monument Types

  • DEER PARK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • LANDSCAPE PARK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • PARK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • WOOD (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • Registered Park or Garden

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1995. TG 1939AB - AJ.
---Publication: Armstrong, H. B. J (ed). 1949. A Norfolk Diary. Passages from the Diary of The Rev. Benjamin John Armstrong. p 176.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1998. Deer park restoration - but no deer yet. 20 November.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1997. John gets on the trunk line. 1 November.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1994. An ancient flashback packs in the tourists. 23 April.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 13 NE 11.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 466.
---Publication: Shirley, E. P. 1867. Some Account of English Deer Parks. p 114.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Designation: English Heritage. Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.. 1000185.
<S3>*Rolled Plan: Large Plan Exists.
<S4>Unpublished Document: Rose, E. (NAU). 1983. Felbrigg Park Survey.
<S5>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1993. No longer digging for victory. 16 June.
<S6>Monograph: Williamson, T.. 1998. Archaeology of the Landscape Park: Garden Design in Norfolk, England, c. 1680-1840.. BAR (British Series). Vol 268. pp 111-112, 134-135.
<S7>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1988. Oh dear! It's cattle, not deer in restored park. 27 October.
<S8>Website: 2010. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-felbrigghallgardenandpark/w-felbrigghallgardenandpark-park_estate.htm.
<S9>Website: 2010. http://www.parksandgardens.ac.uk/component/option,com_parksandgardens/task,site/id,1312/tab,description/Itemid,292/.

Related records

6633Related to: Felbrigg Hall (Building)

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