Record Details

Summary

The location of a medieval deer park, which was enclosed in 1248. The boundary of the park can still be traced as a bank with outer ditch along the parish boundary and hedge banks.

Monument Type(s):

• DEER PARK (Documented in C13, Norman to MEDIEVAL - 1200 AD to 1299 AD)
• PARK PALE (Documented in C13, Norman to MEDIEVAL - 1200 AD to 1299 AD)

Protected Status:

Full description

Deer Park: Enclosed 1248. Boundary can still be traced as a bank with outer ditch, parish boundary and hedge bank. <1> <2> <3>

Summary description from NRHE:
Medieval deer park covering an area of 900 acres. It was documented in the 13th century. Field investigations in 1975 found the park pale surviving as a slight earthwork comprising a ditch 4 metres to 5 metres wide and up to 0.6 metres deep. The bank had a maximum height of 0.5 metres and a width of 3.5 metres. (SB, 15-Jul-2016) <4>

(SK 0150 3040) Chartley Park (NAT). (SB, 15-Jul-2016) <5>

(Centred SK 01503020) Boundary of Chartley Park shown. (SB, 15-Jul-2016) <6>

Chartley Park, c.900 acres, 300 deer. Little is known of its early history. The herd of wild cattle date from the time of Henry III. (SB, 15-Jul-2016) <7>

The medieval boundary of Chartley Park can be traced for about 3 1/2 miles.
'A-B'. Disused double-lynchet way 5m wide probably follows the line of the park pale.
'B-C'. Broad hedge bank intermittently alongside road.
'C-D'. Ploughed down bank with old trees and former parish boundary on line.
'D-E'. Park pale in fairly good condition continuously for 2 1/2 miles, consisting of a bank and ditch.
'E-F'. Ditch considerably enlarged by serving as a stream bed: followed by parish boundary. Traces of bank only visible.
Beyond 'F' there is no trace of a park pale. The wild cattle were transferred to Woburn about 40 years ago. (SB, 15-Jul-2016) <8>

From 'B-C' the old hedge bank has been destroyed by road widening.
There is no trace between C and SK 0245 2941.
From this point to a recently constructed farm road at c SK 02592986 the boundary of the park follows a ploughed down hedgebank with a maximum height of 0.4m internally and 1.1m externally and 4.0m wide. There are traces of a ditch averaging 0.3m deep. From the farm road to the corner of Hand Leasow Wood it is visible only as a slight scoop across a ploughed field.
From here to 'E' the boundary is defined by a ditch 4.0 to 5.0m wide and generally 0.6m deep except where it has been recently re-cut for drainage. Only a few short stretches of the bank remain with a maximum height of 0.5m and an overall width of 3.5m. (SB, 15-Jul-2016) <9>

Sources and further reading

<1>	SST867 - Published Book: Evelyn Philip Shirley. 1867. Some Account of English Deer Parks (Copy of the Staffordshire section only - pages 175 to 181). Page 177.
<2>	SST1032 - Descriptive text: WHITAKER J. 1892. DEERPARKS AND PADDOCKS OF ENGLAND. P135-6.
<3>	SST1375 - Serial: North Staffordshire Field Club. 1925/1926. Transactions of the North Staffordshire Field Club Volume 60 (1925/1926). Volume 60 - page 201.
<4>	SST4849 - Index: Historic England. 2016. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) Website. Paper. 304847 (Eric Charles Waight - Compiler - 16-04-1957).
<5>	SST4849 - Index: Historic England. 2016. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) Website. Paper. 304847 (Ordnance Survey 6" Map 1925).
<6>	SST4849 - Index: Historic England. 2016. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) Website. Paper. 304847 (Yates Y. Topographical Map of Staffordshire 1" to 1 mile 1799).
<7>	SST4849 - Index: Historic England. 2016. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) Website. Paper. 304847 (Shirley E P. 1867. English Deer Parks, 177).
<8>	SST4849 - Index: Historic England. 2016. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) Website. Paper. 304847 (Field Investigators Comments - F1 - VJB 18-FEB-58 ).
<9>	SST4849 - Index: Historic England. 2016. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) Website. Paper. 304847 (Field Investigators Comments - F2 - DJC 25-FEB-75).

Related records

40240	Parent of: Enclosure, Chartley Deer Park, Stowe by Chartley (Monument)
40241	Parent of: Mound, Chartley Deer Park, Stowe-by-Chartley (Monument)
04079	Parent of: Possible Ring Ditch, Castle Clump, Chartley Park (Monument)
40239	Parent of: Rectangular Enclosure, Chartley Deer Park, Stowe by Chartley (Monument)
00006	Part of: Chartley Castle (Monument)

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