Monument record MDR4434 - Melbourne Medieval Deer Park and Park Pale
Type and Period (2)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Melbourne Park was disparked soon after 1740 and is now enclosed and converted into tillage. (1)
There does not to appear to be any trace of the formation of Melbourne Park in the Public Records. However, in 1392-3 and 1429-30 the Minister's accounts of the Duchy of Lancaster relate to the park. The limits of the Park are well marked by the bank (formerly carrying a paling) which is still conspicuous on the ground, and is defined on the recent Ordnance Survey with a circuit of 3 3/4 miles. It occupied the south-eastern portion of the parish of Melbourne and is now divided into fields. The park was disparked in 1770 and subsequently enclosed. (2)
In 1201-2 there were 'repairs at Melbourne, where there seems to have been a royal park-surrounded lodge'. (2-3)
The pale of Melbourne Park has been perambulated and the A.M. annotated. Published surveys (25" revisions of 1920 and 1937) to be amended by Field Surveyor. (4)
Published survey (25") revised. Much of the pale has been ploughed out. (5)
The boundary of Melbourne Park, almost four miles in circuit, is recognisable in the field with a well-defined bank one meter high in places. The sections of park pale between Quarry Wood and Park Farm and on the eastern boundary are particularly noteworthy. The first documentary evidence for the park was in 1200, when the King allowed 100s 5d for enclosing the 'parco de Meleburn'. King John added a large park to the Royal Manor for hunting and visited regularly. The manor was held by the Beauchamp family throughout the 12th century and then was granted to William de Ferres in 1216, and became part of the Lancastrian holdings in 1266. (7)
Sources/Archives (7)
- <1> SDR535 Bibliographic reference: Briggs, J. J.. 1862. The History of Melbourne. pp 61-2, 165.
- <2> SDR7853 Article in serial: Fane, W. 1889. 'Melbourne Castle and Park', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 11, pp 132-141. p 134.
- <3> SDR16051 Bibliographic reference: Cox, J. C.. 1907. VCH Derbyshire 1907. Volume 2. p 97.
- <4> SDR6088 Personal Observation: F1 BHS 13-APR-62.
- <5> SDR6541 Bibliographic reference: F2 BHS 17-JUN-66.
- <6> SDR17711 Index: TPAT. 2194. 2194.
- <7> SDR20777 Bibliographic reference: Wiltshire, M & Woore, S. 2009. Medieval Parks of Derbyshire. pp 118-9.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 396 239 (1427m by 2294m) (Centred on) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | MELBOURNE, SOUTH DERBYSHIRE, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- EDR1048
- EDR1176
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 22 2018 3:59PM