See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Castle Hill Medieval Deer Park enclosed an area with an iron railing and in parts an earth bank and hedge

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1015466: Park pale and associated remains at Castle Hill
• Registered Park or Garden (I) 1000120: CASTLE HILL
• Listed Building (II) 1161487: GATE PIERS AND FLANKING WALLS TO FILLEIGH DEER PARK

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 34398
• National Monuments Record: 34401
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS62NE/16
• Old SAM Ref: 28626
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS62NE11
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS62NE8

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DEER PARK (XV to XVIII - 1500 AD to 1800 AD (Between))

Full description

Shirley, E. P., 1867, Some Account of English Deerparks, 90-1 (Monograph). SDV314505.

Westcote (1630) mentions a deerpark at Filleigh, probably this one. A park of 153 acres and 300 fallow deer in the early 19th century. Said to be an old park.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Castle Hill Park (Deer Park)' shown on 19th century map.

Donn, B., 1965, A Map of the County of Devon, 1765 (Reprint) (Monograph). SDV336413.

The park is shown on Donn's map of 1765. It appears that the park extended over the river into South Molton and included a building to the north.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1978, SS62NE11 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV345238.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1978, SS62NE8 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV345237.

Whitaker, J., 1982, Untitled Source, 46 (Monograph). SDV7428.

Castle Hill Park enclosed 155 acres with an iron railing and in parts an earth bank and hedge.

Gallant, L., 1986, Deer Parks and Paddocks of England (Un-published). SDV656.

Colvin & Moggridge, 1991, Castle Hill: Summary and Evaluation of History (1st Earl Fortescue Historic Inventory) (Report - Assessment). SDV345229.

Gerrard, S., 1995, 139579 (Un-published). SDV345242.

This deep park includes lengths of the north, west and south park pale and a D-shaped platform forming the surviving part of a deer park within the estate of Castle Hill in Filleigh. It occupies a rounded hill known as Deer Park Hill. The deer park is roughly oval and measures 800 metres east to west and by 600 metres north to south.

Department of Environment, 1997, Park Pale and Associated Remains at Castle Hill (Schedule Document). SDV345241.

Park pale and associated remains at Castle Hill. This monument includes lengths of the northern, western and southern park pale and a D-shaped platform, together forming the surviving part of a deer park within the estate of Castle Hill, Filleigh. It occupies a rounded hill known as Deer Park Hill to the north east of Castle Hill House and the River Bray forms its eastern boundary. The monument survives as a series of earthwork features: to the north there is a lynchet which develops into a substantial ditch and bank and to the west there are the remains of a ditch and pale, which have become fossilised further to the north in the form of the road known as Deer Park Lane. The deer park is roughly oval in shape and measures 800 metres long from east to west and 600 metres wide from north to south. In the north-western corner the northern boundary of the deer park survives as a lynchet which measures up to 112 metres long, 0.5 metres wide and 0.3 metres high. This becomes a ditch which measures 385 metres long, 3.4 metres wide and 0.8 metres deep. The ditch is clay lined and contains water. To the north of the ditch is a slight bank, which measures 0.5 metres wide and 0.3 metres high. As the ditch progresses eastwards it begins to widen and deepen. At its easternmost extent the ditch is up to 4 metres wide and 4 metres deep. To the north of the ditch a small bank continues to run parallel to it and this is up to 0.5 metres wide by 0.3 metres high. Towards the north eastern end of the ditch a modern causeway has been built to facilitate access to the fields to the north of the deer park boundary. To the east of this the outer bank has become fossilised into a stone built wall erected during the period 1785 to 1787 by the first Earl Fortescue, when the deer park was extended. The ditch itself widens and joins the River Bray which originally formed the eastern side of the park. On the southern side of the deer park to the north of the present day cricket ground is a D-shaped platform which measures 60 metres long by 45 metres wide at its widest point and is 3 metres high. This feature represents a platform from which the deer could be targeted whilst running across the deer run. Continuing from this platform to the south western corner of the deer park and lying 12 metres to the south of the peripheral track is a linear bank which measures 2 metres wide and 0.5 metres high. In the south-western corner of the deer park a set of stone built gates mark the entrance, they were erected pre-1886 but do not appear on the 1838 Tithe Map. The western side of the deer park is also marked by a ditch. This measures 4 metres wide and from 1.5 to 2 metres deep. This gradually tapers upslope to the north. To the west of the ditch is a stone wall up to 1.5 metres high and on top of this is a metal railing 1 metre high. The ditch ceases at a point where it originally encountered a field boundary approximately half way up the western side of the deer park. This boundary has now been removed. From this point northwards, the boundary ditch survives as a buried feature beneath the road known as Deer Park Lane which is bounded on its western side by a substantial field boundary up to 2 metres high and 1.5 metres wide. The ground surface beyond this boundary is much higher than that on the deer park side. The first record of the deer park at Filleigh dates to 1630, although it is likely to predate this period. It is also shown on the 1763 Field Map and on Donn's 1765 Survey of Devon. The road surface of Deer Park Lane and modern fencing are excluded from the scheduling, but the ground beneath is included. Map object based on this Source.

Colvin & Moggridge, 2000, Castle Hill Park Restoration Management Plan, 3 (Report - Interim). SDV344390.

Other details: Figure 4.

Department of Environment, 2003, Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (Devon) (Register of Parks and Gardens in England). SDV314512.

National Monuments Record, 2010, 34398 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV345239.

Park pale to the deer park at Castle Hill Park. Parts of the northern, western and southern park pale survive, together with a D-shaped platform. These are the surviving features of a deer park within the estate of Castle Hill, Filleigh which was documented in 1630, although it is likely to predate this period.

National Monuments Record, 2010, 34401 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV345240.

Deer park at Filleigh, extant in 1630 and described by Polwhele in 1797. A deer park at Filleigh, extant in 1630, is mentioned. Filleigh was the earlier name of Castle Hill House according to Polwhele but the park is unlikely to be the deer park of Castle Hill as his description of this park suggests that it had been laid out recently, as the woods were only then beginning to grow thick.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

'Castle Hill Park (Deer Park)' shown on modern mapping. Map object based on this Source.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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