Record Details

Summary

A landscape park at Stourton Castle, largely laid out in the 1830s by James Foster, the then owner. The landscaping included terracing, a formal parterre, a series of walks, a pool (created from an earlier mill pond), walled garden stables and lodge.

Monument Type(s):

• LANDSCAPE PARK (Established, Hanoverian to Victorian - 1832 AD to 1839 AD)

Full description

A landscaped area around Stourton Castle, west of the River Stour. <1> <2>

The house, which was originally a royal hunting lodge, sits on a terrace overlooking the River Stour. It has extensive pleasure grounds around the house and is a well treed site in good condition. The parkland stretches north from the house and the River Stour meanders along the eastern side of the property. (SB, 14-Mar-2017) <3>

Stourton Castle may have been built by 1446 by John Hampton. Robert Smirke is recorded to have worked here in the early 18th century however most of what survives is of mid 19th century red brick. Much of the medieval fabric was probably demolished after the Civil War.
The castle seems to have had a variety of owners but by the 1830s the Foley family were in ownership and in March 1832 James Foster opened negotiations to lease it. What remains of the gardens is largely the result of alterations that followed this, with Foster taking up residence the following year.
The castle stands a considerable height above the River Stour and it is unlikely that it was ever moated. The river has had a weir here from an early date, with the purpose to create sufficient height of water to drive the mill seen in 1740. There may be some woods to the south, perhaps an orchard to the north-west and a range of what may be barns beyond.
The mill apparently occupied a yard opening out from Enville Road, on the west side of which stood what may have been the mill operators house. The mill and house probably went in 1829. The associated water features survived, however, and gave the basis for the subsequent development of the gardens. The major operations were carried out by James Foster in the 1830s.
The original castle always had a terrace on the north side, but Forster had this continued all the way around the building to the south side. Formerly the castle walls had stood on solid rock above the River. Below this terrace on the south side the formal parterre (the 'Knot Garden') was created and walks were laid out around the whole area. The long walk to the north of the site parallel with the river may also have been created around this time, although the steep bank is shown as wooded on a plan of 1831. Foster also had the mill and dam raised to create a wider, deeper pool. Beyond the mill pool, between there and the river, an 'American' garden was laid out with a small circular pond in the centre.
The walled garden may also have been established by Foster, since no access way to it is shown on the 1831 plan; he probably also built the stables.
The lodge was built in 1838, but thereafter there were few changes. A cottage was built in the walled garden in about 1913 when the estate was bought by Francis Grazebrook. More significantly the short section of the mill pool was filled in and the site is now marked only by a small pond by the weir.
Ordnance Survey mapping suggests that the grounds to the north of the site, beyond the walled garden, were originally parkland though their character has now been largely lost. (SB, 14-Mar-2017) <4>

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