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Summary - not yet available

Monument Type(s):

• LANDSCAPE PARK (16th century - 1501 AD to 1600 AD)
• LAKE (17th century - 1601 AD to 1700 AD)
• (Former Type) FISHPOND (15th century to 17th century - 1401 AD to 1700 AD)
• (Former Type) VINEYARD (15th century - 1401 AD to 1500 AD)
• PARK (13th century - 1201 AD? to 1300 AD)
• FORMAL GARDEN (16th century - 1501 AD to 1600 AD)
• ARTIFICIAL MOUND (17th century - 1601 AD to 1700 AD)
• HA HA (16th century - 1501 AD to 1600 AD)
• ALLEE (17th century - 1601 AD to 1700 AD)
• ORCHARD (19th century - 1801 AD to 1900 AD)
• BOWLING GREEN (19th century - 1801 AD to 1900 AD)
• PLEASURE GARDEN (19th century - 1801 AD to 1900 AD)
• (Former Type) DEER PARK (15th century - 1401 AD to 1500 AD)

Full description

1. Although the first definite references to this park are in the early 16th century, it is probable that the park was created at the same time, or shortly after, the Great Park. This park in the immediate area of the Bishops Palace has many similarities to the small park of the Prior of Merton at Godmanchester (park number 21) or the Ramsey Abbey Park (park number 39). The park was much smaller than the main park, being some 14 acres, and appears to have associated garden and landscape features. By the 17th century there are records of a raised walk, gardens and fishponds. It is not clear whether the church was originally within the park or if subsequent unrecorded expansion resulted in some re-routing and displacement to encompass the church. Much of the church dates to the 15th century and it is possible that there is a connection between reconstruction and park landscaping and/or expansion. This landscaping would also effectively have destroyed any archaeological evidence of settlement disruption. In the early 19th century the park came to be referred to as "Palace Gardens and Pleasure Grounds".
Addendum: Although the church is "central" to the area of the "modern" park, earthwork evidence suggests it was actually immediately on the boundary of the area delineated by the "raised walk" (RCHM Hunts 1926 p40).

2. The tower, gatehouses, foundations and moat are the remains of the Buckden Palace probably built in the 13th century and re-built in the 15th century. There are indications of vineyards in existence as part of a larger garden by the early 15th century. Earthwork remnants of a raised walk suggests the church may have been situated on the park boundary. To the east of the main enclosure were a series of fishponds (probably originally aesthetic), now converted into a large pond enclosed by a low bank. A small ha-ha exists in the south-east corner of the grounds.

3. Formerly Buckden Palace (see RN 00653), this is one of the many residences of 60 successive Bishops of Lincoln from the 11th century until 1840. Many royal visitors came to Buckden including Henry III, Edward I, Richard III, James I and the Prince Regent. Catherine of Aragon stayed for two years following the annulment of her marriage to Henry VIII. What now remains, including the Great Tower and the Inner Gatehouse is mainly of about 1480 and is part of the great rebuilding by Bishops Thomas Rotherham and John Russell. It all lies within a moat. The outer wall encloses a large courtyard and bowling green. Inside the wall were a small deer park, an orchard and fish ponds – the whole site covering about 15 acres. In 1640 Bishop John Williams restored the park and constructed a raised perimeter walk shaded by yews with a viewing mound to the north. This was destroyed during the civil war but restored in 1660. In 1870 the site was bought by James Marshall (of Marshall and Snelgrove, the London department store retailers) who demolished several buildings and constructed a Victorian house. In 1965 the property passed to the Claretian Missionaries. In recent years the gardens have been restored, the walnut tree avenue in the outer court has been partially replanted and Catherine’s garden has been recreated with medieval knots and mount. The medieval orchard and nuttery have been replanted. A new pleached lime avenue separates the garden from the deer park and four fish ponds which were converted into a lake in the 17th century have been restocked with fish. One magnificent oak dating to the 17th century survives in the parks and two London Planes dating from the 1660 restoration, one planted on the viewing mount still stands. Once inside the park it can be difficult to remember that the park sits in the very middle of Buckden.

<1> Way, T., 1997, A Study of the Impact of Imparkment on the Social Landscape of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire from c1080 to 1760, p244, park 8 (Bibliographic reference). SCB18038.

<2> Way, T., 1999, Historic Parks and Gardens in Cambridgeshire, p. 23 (Unpublished document). SCB21125.

<3> Cambridgeshire Garden Trust, 2000, The Gardens of Cambridgeshire: A Gazetteer, p. 133 (Bibliographic reference). SCB21348.

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