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Summary

Scheduled Monument 19012. Earthwork and cropmark remains of a deer park boundary enclosing about 100 ha; nine sections are scheduled monuments

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1015953: PARK PALE IN HAMSTEAD MARSHALL PARK
• Registered Park or Garden (II) 1000525: Hamstead Marshall Park

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 01342.02.100
  

Monument Type(s):

• PARK PALE (Medieval to Late 19th century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)

Full Description

SM 19012 (3/9/92) OS 1963- 3 OF THE 4 SIDES OF DEER PARK READILY TRACEABLE ON THE GROUND AS NINE SECTIONS OF BANK UP TO 0.8M HIGH AND 7M WIDE AND EXTERNAL DITCH 0.6M DEEP AND 2.5M WIDE. THE 4TH N- SIDE PROB. FOLLOWED THE LINE OF THE NATURAL TERRACE ON THE S SIDE OF THE R KENNET. EAST SIDE FOLLOWS (former) PARISH BOUNDARY. ENCLOSES AN AREA OF 101ha. DESTROYED SECTIONS VISIBLE ON APS.

<1> The scheduled monument includes nine earthwork remains of the park pale of a once extensive deer park of approximately 100ha in extent. The pale can be traced on the ground around the west, south and east sides of the park, where it survives as a series of disjointed protions of linear bank upto 0.8m high and 7m wide with an external ditch 0.6m deep and 2.5m wide [NB This is puzzling, as deer parks generally have an internal ditch - comment Sarah Orr 21/11/2006]. On the north side of the park there is no pale, the boundary probably following the line of a natural terrace along the south side of the River Kennet.

Money <3> apparently erroneously attributed the park pale ('the extensive earthwork which stretches obliquely across the park') to the Celts.

Representation of this monument on the linked GIS derives from aerial photographic evidence <6> and mapped earthworks, and is more extensive that that of the scheduled banks (some of which are not mapped very accurately). A further section of park pale (not depicted on the GIS) was apparently located during a survey within North Lodge garden, to the east of the eastern most motte <7>. If this interpretation is correct, there must be some phasing of the pale's construction, with the L-shaped stretch of bank east of here being a later alteration. A field visit in November 2006 (see Monitoring notes) suggested that in fact there are many surviving earthwork banks in Hamstead Park which might have formed elements of the pale at different periods in its existence; there is good documentary evidence that the park's size changed several times.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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