Monument record MDR5743 - Codnor Park, Codnor
Type and Period (2)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
Robert, Lord Grey, claimed four parks with the manor of Codnor in 1330. The extensive park connected with Codnor Castle has long ago been converted into tillage. (1) Codnor Park is shown on Saxton's Survey. [Codnor Park is also shown on O.S. 6" 1884, centred on SK 434501, but as a parish name.] (2)
Henry, Lord Grey of Codnor, appointed John Clarke to be keeper of Codnor Park sometime between 1435 and 1443. The boundary between Codnor Castle and Ormonde Fields is still known as Buck Leap and the castle lords claimed both game and trees for a distance of 12 feet beyond the fence. (3)
The perimeter of the medieval park(s) was not certainly established in field investigation. The major part of the area has been open-cast mined for coal with the subsequent destruction of ancient boundaries. A significantly continuous series of field boundaries, centred at SK 4360 4910, south-west of Codnor Park Farm, suggests a medieval park perimeter but no confirmatory evidence was gained. It is probable that the four medieval parks were later formed into a large parked area, the nucleus of the former parish of Codnor Park. A field in which a Roman coin hoard was found was near 'Codnor Park Pales' and the name 'Codnor Gate' - at SK 4172 5027 - may mark an entrance to the larger park. (4)
Surrounding Codnor Castle was a park estimated at between 1400 and 3000 acres stocked with deer for both sport and food. An agreement that pre-dates 1208 refers to 'our park at Coddenhoure', while in 1246 Henry III made a gift of four living bucks and six does from Sherwood Forest to Sir Richard Grey's park at Codnor. A park with tenants is listed among the lands of Henry Grey who dies in 1308. His son Richard is described as claiming four parks in 1330, although it is not clear exactly which these were. Saxton shows a very large park and it is possible that two or more of the parks had been amalgamated. Codnor Park was probably at least partly enclosed by the end of the 16th century, while documents of 1686, 1688 and 1692 list the same field names as are found on a map of 1722, describing them as 'those several closes or grounds inclosed within the said parke'. (5)
The extent of the park as mapped is based on the plan of 1722, as reproduced by Meek (5) and on 19th century parish boundaries but the extent to which it represents the medieval park is unknown. (6)
John de Grey, who died in 1271, claimed Codnor manor with two parks. Most likely the other park was at Aldercar as John Clarke was given custody of both Codnor and Aldercar parks by Henry de Grey in the 15th century. In the Quo Warranto of 1330 Lord Grey claimed four parks. His Inquisition post mortem of 1335 included four 'several' pastures (several in this context meaning 'held in severalty' or separately, not in common pasture). These four were 'Knoutshall', 'Countaspark', 'Allerkerr' and 'Ekyrhawe'. Knowtshall and Aldercar [see SMR 16015] survive to this day, Countas Coppice appears on the first edition 1" OS map and is no doubt where the park was [see SMR 18212], but 'Ekyrhawe' is lost as a name. It might has been the name given to the enclosure surrounding Codnor Castle. (7)
Sources/Archives (7)
- <1> SDR84 Bibliographic reference: Lysons, D & Lysons, S. 1817. Magna Britannia, Volume 5: Derbyshire. p. 181.
- <2> SDR5911 Bibliographic reference: Shirley, E. 1867. English Deer and Deer Parks. p. 171.
- <3> SDR7819 Article in serial: Corfield, F. 1893. 'Archaeological gleanings in the neighbourhood of Codnor Castle', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 15. p. 109.
- <4> SDR6522 Personal Observation: F1 WW 30-OCT-59.
- <5> SDR19872 Unpublished document: Meek, B. 2002. Codnor Castle and the Greys of Codnor. p. 62, 64-5, Appendix 1.
- <6> SDR19557 Personal Observation: Stroud, G. Personal observation, map evidence, field visit etc..
- <7> SDR20777 Bibliographic reference: Wiltshire, M & Woore, S. 2009. Medieval Parks of Derbyshire. pp. 54-5.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 43430 50479 (2497m by 2541m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | ALDERCAR AND LANGLEY MILL, AMBER VALLEY, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (4)
- EDR3513
- EDR1511
- EDR3763
- EDR3628
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Record last edited
Mar 6 2023 9:58AM