Monument Type(s):

• DEER PARK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1901 AD)
• FORMAL GARDEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1901 AD)
• ORNAMENTAL CANAL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1901 AD)
• ORNAMENTAL LAKE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1901 AD)
• PARK (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1901 AD)

Summary

The site of a post medieval park, ornamental lake, ornamental canal, formal garden and deer park.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA2721 - 1989 evaluation at Dothill Moat, Telford by BUFAU
• ESA4637 - 1989 DBA at Dothill Moat by BUFAU
• ESA5002 - 1995 evaluation at Harley Close, Dothill by Gifford & Partners Ltd
• ESA9372 - 2020 DBA of land at Severn Drive, Dothill by Crow Archaeology

Description

Dothill Park was created after 1626. It contained c 179a, about half the desmesne, and in 1758 was stocked with deer. <1>

The development of Dothill House (see PRN 02895) and its gardens is recorded in estate maps of 1626, 1734, 1756, 1776 and 1793. Thereafter it can be traced in the tithe map of 1856 and in OS maps until the house was demolished in c 1960. Detailed work on these cartographic sources remains to be done. The estate map of 1626 shows that formal gardens had been laid out over the remainder of the platform of the moated site (SA 2895). There was also a large lake to the west known locally as the Tee Lake, and an arbour to the east consisting of two huts perched on a tree. By the time of the next map of 1734 about 7 hectares of formal gardens surrounded the house, mostly to the west. To the south another lake had been cut into a canal with a grassed amphitheatre beyond..the SE arm of the former moat made another canal. ..By the end of the C18 the formal gardens had reverted back to grass again.->

-> During the excavation of evaluation trenches, a number of features of post medieval date were recorded that could potentially have been associated with the post medieval development of the gardens. These included a brick revetment wall identified in Trench 2, which was interpreted as part of a ha ha, bounding the grounds of the post-medieval manor house on the east side. A set of brick walls and a brick floor were identified in Trench 1, which could be interpreted as the north-eastern section of a building shown on plans of 1626 and 1734. <2>

A park was created around Dothill after 1626. It contained c. 170 a., about half the demesne. It was stocked with deer in 1758 (V.C.H. Shropshire 11 (1985), 224). In the early 18th century the grounds around the house became among the most elaborate in the county. Already by 1626 there was an arbour, and the medieval moat had been adapted as a garden feature. By 1734, and probably by 1726, c.7 ha. Of formal gardens had been laid out, principally west of the house, with walks and avenues providing vistas of nearby churches and mansions. To the south, the pool (present in 1626) had been formalised into a canal with a grassed amphitheatre beyond. The moat had been filled in, except for the south arm, which had also been canalised. In the later 18th century the formal gardens were largely allowed to revert to grass. The house was demolished c.1960. In 1872 only vestiges of the moat and garden remained. (Account based on V.C.H. Shropshire 11 (1985), 216 and pl. 48). <3>

NB in April 1993 an attempt was made to represent this park on the SMR Record map, based on [<2>], but it is NOT definitive-further work on the cartographic sources is required. <4>

A programme of archaeological evaluation was carried out on a site at Harley Close, Dothill in 1995, consisting of desk-based assessment and trial trenching. The desk-based research revealed that Dothill Manor is extraordinarily well documented, especially in the survival of six estate maps dating from 1626 to 1793. These maps, together with information on manorial ownership available in relatively accessible secondary sources, allowed an unusually detailed account of the Manors’ development and demise (from 1626 to the present) to be compiled. Of particular relevance, it was possible to demonstrate that the Manor and its formal gardens were located to the south of the proposed development area. The documentary evidence could not provide detailed information on the Manor prior to 1626, the degree of survival of manorial remains within the proposed development area, or the possible presence of early-Medieval or Saxon manorial remains. The sample excavation consisted of seven small trenches initially excavated mechanically and subsequently by hand. The trenches were carefully located in relation to manorial features identified from the desk-based research – primarily walls and buildings. Each predicted feature was located, sample excavated and recorded. As is common in small-scale sample excavation, the excavation of features did not provide any more accurate dating of the post-Medieval Manor than was derived from the desk-based research. One possible element of the elaborate formal gardens of c. 1734 – 1793 was also recorded (PRN 07766). <5>

In the later 18th century the formal gardens were largely allowed to revert to grass, and in 1872 only vestiges of the moat and garden remained. <6>

A well-made brick wall was identified in a site visit undertaken as part of a heritage assessment of land at Charlton School, following the western side of Whitchurch Road. It is postulated that this may indicate the eastern boundary of Dothill Park and the parkland may have extended further east than the HER currently indicates. <7>

Sources

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