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Summary

Unregistered park documented in the 18th century but part of a much earlier estate, and containing veteran trees

Monument Type(s):

• COUNTRY ESTATE (12th century to Mid 20th century - 1190 AD? to 1960 AD?)
• LANDSCAPE PARK (18th century to Late 19th century - 1775 AD? to 1900 AD?)

Full Description

Trunkwell as a place name is first documented in 1190 <1><2> and seems to have been the early name for Beech Hill <3>. The place name may derive from the Old English 'Trum' for firm, strong or vigorous <1><2>. The Victoria County History mentions that Trunkwell belonged to Theale in the reign of Edward I and continued to be part of this hundred as late as 1549 <3>. The land ownership was also linked to Nicholas de la Beche and Beaumys (just outside West Berkshire) <3>.

A fine house with farm buildings and orchards existed in 1678 when Sir Thomas Woodcock bought the whole of the Beaumys estate <1>, and there were several changes in ownership over subsequent centuries. A small designed landscape, perhaps with an orchard, is shown on Rocque's map <4> around a house named Trunkwell. The tithe map of 1837 <5> depicts about 12 buildings, six walled gardens and two drives to the main house <1>.

The First Edition Ordnance Survey of 1872 <3> shows the main house, Trunkwell House, to the southeast of the farmyard, but it had been demolished by the Second Epoch <7> when a new main dwelling, also named Trunkwell House, had been built further to the south. A second large house called Trunkwell Lodge was also constructed in the park to the north of the farm by 1899 <7>.

Trunkwell House was noted by the Thames & Chilterns survey of parkland and wood pasture <8> as having a high number of veteran trees, and a high potential for nature conservation significance. On the First Edition Ordnance Survey <3> the words 'B M. on Oak' appear adjacent to the road. Trunkwell Park was also apparently known for the breeding of race horses, the most famous being the winner of The Oaks in the 1880s <1>.

The GIS polygon for this park is approximate and has been created using the Historic Landscape Characterisation of designed landscape.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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