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Summary

Early deer park with possible late Saxon origins

Monument Types

• DEER PARK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1500 AD)

Full description

Benington was the head of a Saxon lordship of some importance which extended apparently into Sacombe, Layston, Ashwell, Hinxworth and Radwell. It was held before 1066 by Aelmar. William the Conqueror granted the lands of Aelmar to Peter de Valognes comprising six and a half hides in the demesne and a park 'for beasts of the chase'. Here Peter or his son built the castle [29] <1, 2>. A park appears on Saxton's 1577 map. It may have evolved into Benington Park [12108]. Significant names in the area are Benington Park (farm); Hailey Park Wood; Park Wood; Park Covert <3>. There is some possibility of confusion between the medieval deer park, and the later parks of Benington Park and Benington Lordship; how they each relate to the medieval park is uncertain.
See <4> for the extent of the deer park at Benington Park, and the likely origin of the two later parks. The boundaries of the medieval deer park are still discernible in the landscape, filling the NE corner of the parish and in a shallow valley on the boulder clay plateau. Its Saxon owner, Aelmar of Benington, was one of the chief landowners in the county at the Norman conquest, and his name suggests that his main residence was at Benington (presumaby adjacent to the church, which he owned). His successor Peter de Valognes, even more powerful, made Benington the caput of his barony, and was probably responsible for the earthworks at the Lordship, the manorial centre next to the church. Either Aelmar or Peter could have laid out the deer park, about a mile to the east. Medieval records largely record incidents of breaking in and stealing deer, including a major event in 1316 involving many men from as far away as Suffolk. This appears to have been due to the unpopularity of the then owner, John de Benstede. By the mid 14th century two parks are recorded, the great park and Hayly Wood west of the Lordship, land now occupied by Lordship Farm. By the late 15th century the Benstedes had given way to Sir William Say, whose accounts refer to a warren and a park keeper. In 1498-9 Sir William built a new lodge and repaired the southern boundary with wooden fencing plastered with clay. On his death in 1529 the manor went to his son-in-law, the earl of Essex. A survey for Queen Mary, who held it briefly, referred to the park being 'in great decaye'. By 1580 it had been disparked, although when the estate was sold in 1613-14 to Sir Julius Caesar it was again 'a hunting seat and large park of deer'. It was not maintained, but appears on a 1628 estate map. Some of the boundaries shown on this map survive as earthwork banks, public footpaths and other features.
For the house, see [18678]; for the post-medieval park and gardens, see [12108].

OS Records (Index). SHT8223.

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, 1867, Some account of English deer parks, with notes on the management of deer, - p79 (Bibliographic reference). SHT3258.

<1> Page, W (ed.), 1912, VCH Hertfordshire vol.3, - p74 (Bibliographic reference). SHT2329.

<2> Page, W (ed.), 1902, VCH Hertfordshire vol.1, - p346 (Bibliographic reference). SHT8468.

<3> Rowe, Anne, 1999, The protected valley: a history of Little Munden (Bibliographic reference). SHT565.

<4> Rowe, Anne, 2009, Medieval parks of Hertfordshire, - p56-60, Map 5 (Bibliographic reference). SHT6026.

Sources and further reading

Related records

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