Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

In the late nineteenth century the Hall (NHER 9473) was owned by the Unthank family and was rebuilt for the fourth time in a red brick Jacobean style.
In the 16th century, north and north-east of the Hall was an extensive garden which included ornamental arcades, terraces and gothic style brick summerhouses. There was a possible enclosed kitchen garden to the west.
By 1729 there was a short avenue running south from the Hall and an enclosed orchard west of the Hall which included walks. North of the Hall are three service buildings. The map shows a church (NHER 9514) and lodge (NHER 44271) on the east edge of the park. The drive to the Hall runs from the east boundary, past the lodge. However, there does not appear to have been a park at this time, only gardens.
The late 18th century map shows that the area west of the Hall had lost its walkways and the south avenue had disappeared. There appears to be more enclosed courts to the north of the Hall, and the field boundaries in the land to the south and east have vanished, leaving lines of trees where the boundary once stood, used as pasture. By the time of Faden’s map, this area is shown as a small park of c.13 hectares.
The 1843 Tithe Award map shows very little change from 1729 besides a little alteration of the layout of the courtyards surrounding the Hall. However, by 1845 a huge amount of development had taken place; the walled gardens east of the Hall were extended further south; the orchard west of the Hall was developed into a kitchen garden and extensive building work occurred, extending the service buildings north of the kitchen garden. Much tree planting had happened so there was a thick tree belt around the north and west boundaries of the park, and a clump of trees planted opposite the Hall on the south-east boundary of the park. The middle of the park is labelled as a ‘Lawn’ with some individual standing trees, particularly to the east. A new drive to the Hall has been built, running through the northern tree belt, parallel to the old one, which now only leads to the service buildings.
The 1906 Second Edition 6 inch Ordnance Survey map, shows an extended park to the south by c.9 hectares, so there is a road running through the southern area of the park, however this area is now under plough The west tree belt includes walks, and the southern tree clump opposite the Hall is labelled as ‘Scott’s Grove’.
Historic Parkland Grade II.
Formal garden recorded on painting of 1680 and 16th century walled gardens survive.
Information from (S1), (S2), (S3), (S4), (S5), (S6) and (S7).
E. Rose (NLA), 4 March 1994.
Updated by C. Hurst (UEA), 22 November.

2002.
Revision of (S1) upgrades the park to II* and doubles its extent to the south.
E. Rose (NLA), December 2002.

April 2011. Norfolk NMP.
Earthworks of ditches, possible park features, are visible on aerial photographs and have been recorded as NHER 54624.
E. Bales (NMP), 26 April 2011.

Monument Types

• DITCH (Unknown date)
• DITCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• GARDEN WALL (Built, Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• KITCHEN GARDEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• PARK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• AVENUE (LANDSCAPE FEATURE) (17th Century to 18th Century - 1700 AD to 1800 AD)
• TREE BELT (19th Century to 21st Century - 1844 AD to 2100 AD)
• TREE CLUMP (19th Century to 21st Century - 1844 AD to 2100 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

• Registered Park or Garden
• Listed Building

Sources and further reading

Related records

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Keswick (Parish Summary)