Monument Type(s):

• DEER PARK (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1901 AD)
• PARK (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1901 AD)

Summary

The site of a medieval to post medieval park and deer park, associated with Rowton Castle (PRN 13190).

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA3475 - 1980 field observation by the Ordnance Survey

Description

At Rowton there was a deer park which is given in Saxton's survey of 1577 <1a><1b>
The modern park is delineated on OS 6ins map of 1891 centred at SJ378 126. The modern park …is bounded by post and rail fencing on the south, and by hedgerows elsewhere. No traces of medieval earthen park paling were found in the area. OS FI 1980 <1>

In 1292 Robert Burnell had a deer park here (Cal. Inq. P.m. iii.45). That was probably in the area of the modern Rowton Lawn, west of Snod Coppice (V.C.H. Shropshire 8 (1968), 184 [but wrongly locating Rowton Lawn]). By 1577 the park incorporated, within its south-western part, a building (C. Saxton, Map of Shropshire (1577)), presumably the medieval capital message, referred to in 1696 as 'the old castle'. In that year expenditure of £1,000 on a new house on the site was authorised, that brick building forming the core of the present Rowton Castle, the product of early 19th century gothic adornment and addition by George Wyatt and others (V.C.H. Shropshire 8 (1968, 201-2). Also probably by Wyatt is Upper Lodge (List Of Historic Buildings: Shrewsbury Boro.: Alberbury & Cardeston [etc] (1986), 36), south-east of the Castle and linked to it by an avenue. Lower Lodge is north-east of the Castle, marking a longer approach to the castle off the Shrewsbury road through Snod Coppice and across Rowton Lawn. That avenue was continued on the other side of the Castle to the Rowton-Alberbury road. The avenue was probably present by 1808 (apparently on R. Baugh, Map of Shropshire (1808)) <2>

Photographed during aerial survey in 2007. <8><9>

Boundary extended to incorporate the extent of a tree avenue depcited on the 2nd edition Ordnance Survey 1:2500 map to the N of Park Farm. <10>

A heritage assessment was undertaken in association with proposals for redevelopment within the walled garden at Rowton Castle Park. Little specific is known of its origins – but the fact that it has brick walls faced in rubblestone topped by a rustic parapet suggests that it was a part of the early-19th century Romantic development of the grounds. ->

-> The walled garden, and its service court, are clearly shown on the tithe apportionment map published in 1843– and simply identified as ‘garden’. A Mr J Roberts was the gardener at Rowton Castle in the 1840’s and contributed advice – presumably gleaned from his experience in the walled garden – regarding the best soils for vine borders to the United Gardeners Journal in 1845 which was republished in a seminal text book on the increasingly fashionable cultivation of vines.The 1st edition of the 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map shows the main walled garden with the vinery against the NE wall. ->

-> The walls of the walled garden are described in detail. <11>

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.