Record Details

NHER Number:40234
Type of record:Monument
Name:Didlington Park

Summary

A large park that was part of the grounds of Didlington Hall (NHER 4821), which has since been demolished. The park, which is being restored, contains, among other things, several lakes, a colonnaded swimming pool from about 1900, an ice house, a folly tower and a boathouse.There is also a large amount of earthwork Second World War hut platforms seen on aerial photographs and visualised lidar data within and close to the boundary of the park.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TL 78023 96672
Map Sheet:TL79NE
Parish:CRANWICH, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK
DIDLINGTON, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK
ICKBURGH, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK
MUNDFORD, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

Park, not included in the National Heritage List (S1), nor on (S2), but seems to be only because previous owners would not allow access. Now being restored by new owners.
Notes in file for NHER 4821 (the Hall) by [1] note that 17th century hall had a park in which lime trees were planted in 1688. Road diverted away from hall in 1783 and again in 1819. Tithe map shows layout in 1840 with additional ponds now gone and large lakes to a different shape. By 1883 the present South Lake had been dug (separated from the North Lake by a dam restored in 2003) and Birdcage Island formed by linking two ponds to form North Lake. South Lake contains several islands, one of which, according to the present owners, was known as Cyprus. The park contains a Watteau Walk which that artist is said to have painted.
[1] notes vineries, peach houses and a herbaceous border one and a half miles long and twenty feet wide. There is a bathing pool with colonnade east of the hall site, probably from about 1900 and traces of army huts from World War Two occupation.
As well as NHER 4821, other park related structures are the icehouse (NHER 34562), the underground engine house (NHER 4834), the folly tower (NHER 4835) and the boathouse (NHER 40235).
E. Rose (NLA), 29 January 2004.

Area extended to show full extent of park as shown by First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S3) including the drive to the lodge at Ickburgh.
E. Rose (NLA), 22 February 2005.

November 2018. Breckland National Mapping Programme.
Features associated with Didlington hall and park dating from the post-medieval, Second World War and modern period can be seen on aerial photographs and lidar visualisations (S4-S6). These features include: the folly tower (NHER 4835), the ice house (NHER 34562) a formal walled garden (NHER 63035), a large former earthwork bank (NHER 62607) which may have related to a possible deer park or boundary bank and possible medieval settlement remains (NHER 11758 and NHER 63055) to the north of the park. Further to this there is a large amount of Second World War military activity within and close to the boundary of the park including areas of huts and their platforms (NHER 62498, NHER 62499, and NHER 62614), possible support structures (NHER 62613) and mounds which may have related to possible spigot mortars or gun emplacements (NHER 62603, NHER 62604, and NHER 62610). The air photos and lidar visualisations also show a large amount of earthwork drainage some of which may be archaeological in origin; however the drainage has not been mapped due to difficulties in differentiating between archaeological drainage and modern water management. Furthermore the land cover seen on air photos especially in the 1940s may suggest that the mapped boundary of the park could be extended further than currently mapped, however this would need to be checked against other sources such as historic maps. Further work is required to understand the park landscape and the features within it.
J.Powell (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 15 November 2018.

Monument Types

  • DRAINAGE DITCH (Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1540 AD to 2100 AD)
  • LAKE (Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1540 AD to 2100 AD)
  • LANDSCAPE PARK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • Higher Level Stewardship
  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Newspaper Article: 1998. Eastern Daily Press. 24 July.
---Recording Form: Heywood, S. 1997. Norfolk County Council Site Record - Home Farm.
<S1>Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England.
<S2>Unpublished Document: Taigel, A. 1997. Norfolk Gardens Trust: Town Gardens Survey - Volume One. Norfolk Gardens Trust.
<S3>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1863. First edition 6".
<S4>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Various. Vertical Aerial Photograph. RAF/3G/TUD/UK/101 RV 6097-6099 30-MAR-1946 (HEA Original Print).
<S5>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Various. Vertical Aerial Photograph. RAF/82/1204 F21 0174-0175 02-JUN-1955 (HEA Original Print).
<S6>LIDAR Airborne Survey: Various. LIDAR Airborne Survey. LIDAR Ickburgh Forest Research 0.5m DTM 15-JUN-2015 (BNG Project, FC England, Fugro Geospatial).

Related records

34562Parent of: 19th century icehouse (Monument)
4835Parent of: Castle Cave 19th century folly (Monument)
40826Parent of: Falconer's Lodge, High Ash (Building)
62607Parent of: Large undated bank (Monument)
62601Parent of: Possible trackway (Monument)
62605Parent of: Possible undated building or hut (Monument)
62609Parent of: Possible undated hut and platform (Monument)
62498Parent of: Site of Second World War huts (Monument)
62499Parent of: Site of Second World War huts (Monument)
62608Parent of: Two elongated mounds or short banks of unknown date (Monument)
63055Parent of: Undated banks and ditches which may relate to the former medieval settlement at Didlington. (Monument)
62602Parent of: Undated ditches (Monument)
63036Parent of: Undated earthwork bank and ditches (Monument)
62606Parent of: Undated mound (Monument)
63035Related to: Site of a formal walled garden associated with Didlington Hall (Monument)
4821Related to: Site of Didlington Hall (Monument)

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