| Summary: | Nothing certainly remains of the original park boundary but there are suggestive linear boundaries along the south side, centred SY06728570 and SY06828550 respectively. An ornamental ha-ha (delinated on 6" OS sheet) enclosing c130 acres around Bicton House is shown on an estate map of 1845 labelled 'Sunkenfence and Wall' and enclosing the 'Deer Park'. It might reflect something of the early arrangement despite its sharply-angled plan; such a late park would have to be accomodated within an already structured landscape. Much of the ha-ha is still visible, consisting of a flat bottomed ditch c2m deep with sloping outer face and an inner face revetted by a vertical stone wall (this is reversed along the stretch centred at SY07228065). Between SY06548625 and SY06468653 the revetment wall also has a sloping internal bank, perhaps the remains of an earlier earthwork barrier. In several places the wall has been given a brick topping or replaced totally in brick; this may be contemporary with the re-landscaping of the park in the early 19C, putting the stone wall securely in the 18C at least. The Bicton Tithe Map depicts 'Deer Park', but a little smaller on the north than the 1845 estate map. It also shows 'Western Outer Park' (centred SY06 859), 'Eastern Outer Park' (centred SY074861) & 'Mowplot Park' (centred SY080861), all as plot names. |
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