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Summary

Earthwork park pale around Newnham deerpark comprising a large earth bank with a stone rubble inner face and inner ditch.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020169: Deer park and rabbit warren at Newnham Park

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX55NE/74/1
• Old SAM Ref: 34874

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BANK (EARTHWORK) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1750 AD)

Full description

Reed, S. J., 1991, Archaeological Recording on the SWW South Devon Spine Main (Roborough to Littlehempston), 3 (Report - Watching Brief). SDV163500.

Deerpark boundary wall breached by Southwest Water pipeline. Revetted drystone wall approximately 1.6 metres high. Condition varies considerably along its length.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2001, Deer Park and Rabbit Warren (Schedule Document). SDV342254.

Post-medieval deer park and associated rabbit warren. The park was constructed by the Strode family to complement their new mansion at Newnham Park in about 1700. The deer park survives as an earthwork park pale enclosing an area 955 metres from east to west and 1520 metres from north to south. The pale takes the form of a large earth bank measuring between 2.5 metres and 5 metres wide, with a stone rubble inner face from 1.3 metres to 2.5 metres high, capped with horizontal slate slabs, falling to an inner ditch between 2.5 metres and 5 metres wide and 1.5 metres deep. This construction varies, with the bank and ditch larger, and a wide outer ditch, where the pale crosses the floor of the Tory Brook valley at its north end, while the stone type and technique of construction of the wall varies from large granite boulders at the northwest end, to small slate rubble laid vertically on the east and west sides, and river boulders towards the south. A small quarry which cuts into the park pale's outer ditch at SX55415909 is included in the scheduling. Several gates in the pale have heavy mortared stone piers with convex faces, 2 metres high, often with stops for outward opening gates. An arch 4 metres wide took the pale over the Tory Brook at the north end of the park, with dressed granite quoins 1.2 metres wide, while two leats serving ornamental ponds in the garden of Newnham Park House, and feeding Loughtor Corn Mill south of the park, pass through stone-lined culverts in the park pale at two locations. These measure 1 metre wide and 0.5 metres high with roofs formed with granite slabs. The leats survive as earthworks 2 metres wide and 1.3 metres deep, with banks 2 metres wide and 1.5 metres high on their downhill sides. The lower leat, of mid 19th century date, is lined with stone for part of its course. In the valley of the Tory Trook, the ditches of the park pale cut across the dumps and channels of medieval tin streamworking debris, while a leat which runs close to the park pale on its east side served Wheal Mace, a 19th century tin mine, whose workings lie within the park to the west. This leat is 1.5 metres wide and 0.6 metres deep with a bank 1.5 metres wide, 0.5 metres high on its downhill side. All modern track surfacings and fence posts are excluded from scheduling, although ground beneath is included.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2009, Scheduled Monument Consent Letter (Correspondence). SDV342244.

Scheduled monument consent granted, subject to conditions, in respect of propsed works concerning access of proposed pipeline works through an existing access gate.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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