Record Details

NHER Number:33460
Type of record:Monument
Name:Cromer Hall Park

Summary

The park originally surrounded a seventeenth century hall, which was later rebuilt in the nineteenth century (NHER 6476). The majority of the park, woodland belts and garden structures were created in the 19th century, but slight earthworks remain which reveal elements of the earlier phases of the parks design, as well as elements of the pre parkland landscape.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 214 414
Map Sheet:TG24SW
Parish:CROMER, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Norfolk Historic Gardens Survey grade two-star (regional importance).
See (S1).

Pre 1745 gardens removed in that year; present park dates from later in 18th century.
Road order of 1829, when hall rebuilt, removed road on east, and earthworks remain from this phase.
1829/44. Woodland belts provided around older park with open area to east across the relocated road.
Another road to west removed by 1852; new drives, villas in cottage ornee style.
South woodland belts removed 1852/1879 to give open views in this direction.
Kitchen garden and parterres of this period.
Woodland path to cemetery made in 1860, now gone.
E. Rose (NLA) 25 February 1998.

September 2004. Norfolk NMP.
The NMP mapping revealed several areas of slight earthworks within Cromer Hall Park (S3 to S6). The park and gardens originally belonged to a seventeenth century hall, which was later rebuilt in the nineteenth century (NHER 6476), at which point the park was altered and extended significantly. The Park is centred on TG 2150 4150 and the two main areas of earthworks are located at TG 2146 4163 and TG 2125 4123. These earthworks appear to relate the earlier phases of the park and hall gardens layout, in particular those that surround the present hall. Cropmarks of possible earlier park boundaries were also visible on aerial photographs (S5). These were centred on TG 2134 4149 and TG 2144 3414. A small group of cropmark ditches also visible within the Park have been recorded separately under NHER 38810.

The earthworks to the east of the hall have been interpreted as relating to the former walled gardens, possibly associated with the seventeenth century hall, and also to the line of a former road. The earthworks are quite low and slight and are only visible clearly on one set of aerial photographs taken by the Ordnance Survey in 1989 (S3). It is therefore possible that further elements exist that were not visible on these photographs and therefore a site visit would be beneficial.

On the grass to the immediate east of the hall is a broad, but relatively shallow hollow runs for up to 90m and is up to 7m wide in places. This linear appears to be flanked by low banks of upcast in particular towards the southern end. Several perpendicular arrangements of banks come off this main linear. It seems likely that these relate to the former gardens described in the garden's survey (Taigel, 1997:6) (S1). In particular the banks forming part of a rectangular area 15m by 20, centred on TG 2153 4163, may be marking out one of the previously walled enclosures. The main earthwork hollow lines up with a trackway running through the narrow north to south belt of trees and it may be that this was the line of the former road, which was moved to the east in 1829 (Taigel, 1998:6) (S2). One of the roads marked on the 1846 Tithe map (S7) also lines up with this earthwork hollow. This road can be seen to be joining the main east to west approach to the house. The positioning of which is broadly consistent with the parallel sections of low bank and ditch coming off the main hollow and running towards the present house.

To the west of the house are the series of quite pronounced banks forming a three-sided enclosure centred on TG 2141 4162. The northern bank appears to be broader than the other two, measuring 10m across, whilst the other two are 6m to 7m wide. A ditch runs parallel to this northern bank, up to 3.5m across. It has been suggested that elements of this walled garden relate to an earlier pre 1745 garden (Taigel, 1998:7) (S1).

To the south of the park are another set of earthworks visible on aerial photographs (S4, S6) and centred on TG 2125 4123. The main elements appear to relate to removed park and woodland boundaries, which are marked on the 1846 Tithe map (S7). The northern 5m wide ditch forms the edge of a continuation of the remaining woodland belt. The bank and ditch boundary perpendicular to it may form either a parkland boundary or possibly an earlier pre-park field boundary. On the 1946 RAF aerial photographs (S4) there are a number of possible narrow ditched earthwork features, which appear to form a series of small fields or possibly paddocks. However they do not appear to be aligned along the main park boundaries. The origin and date of these less well defined earthworks is not known, although it is possible that they may relate to some earlier pre-park fields or enclosures. However they may relate to a more recent agricultural use within the park.

Within the arable land to the immediate south of the Hall are several parallel linear cropmarks visible on aerial photographs (S6). A linear feature consisting of three closely spaced ditches is centred on TG 2134 4149. These ditches range in length from 27m to 70m and the central ditch appears to be slightly broader, up to 3m, than those flanking it. It is possible that this boundary relates to an earlier phase of park and woodland layout and may have been associated with the management of a herd. Running parallel to these ditches to the east is a single cropmark ditch running from TG 2141 4142 and TG 2147 4152. This is also likely to be earlier park boundary.
S. Massey (NMP), 24 September 2004.

Monument Types

  • FIELD BOUNDARY (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • APPROACH ROAD (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BANK (EARTHWORK) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BOUNDARY DITCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • DITCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FIELD BOUNDARY (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • GARDEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • GARDEN FEATURE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • LODGE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • ROAD (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1995. TG 2041D - E; TG 2141B - J.
<S1>Unpublished Document: Taigel, A. 1997. Norfolk Gardens Trust: Town Gardens Survey - Volume One. Norfolk Gardens Trust.
<S3>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1571 4186-7 07-JUN-1946 (Norfolk SMR TG 2141A, TG 2241A).
<S4>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1952. RAF 540/690 5023-4 11-MAR-1952 (NMR).
<S5>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1967. OS/67053 014-5 24-APR-1967 (NMR).
<S6>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1989. OS/89449 016-7 29-SEP-1989 (NMR).
<S7>Map: Unattributed. 1846. Cromer Tithe Map 1846 (NRO DN/TA 909). 3 chains: 1 inch.

Related records

58819Related to: South Lodge to Cromer Hall (Building)

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