Monument record MDR5996 - Medieval deerpark, Langwith Wood, Scarcliffe

By 1330 the Bassett family, who held Langwith Bassett, had two parks or great hunting grounds at Langwith. The area around and including the present Langwith Wood was emparked to create one of these hunting parks after a grant of free warren was made to Bassett in 1243. (1, 2) The precise location and extent of the medieval deer park is not known, but may have been essentially the same as that depicted on William Senior's map of the manor of Langwith dated 1611. This shows an area of 197 acres surrounded by a park pale and containing a lodge. Boundary change since the 17th century means that it is not always possible to identify the exact course of the park boundary, for example along its northern and eastern perimeters. (3) Langwith Wood, to the west of Upper Langwith or Langwith Basset, has a footpath through it and vestiges of a park bank can be seen in places. It is beautifully depicted on a map of the manor drawn by William Senior in 1611. Free warren was granted to Ralph Basset of Sapcote here in 1245 although Henry de Pierrepoint was also asked to show his warrant for free warren at the Eyre in 1281; whether he produced one later has not been researched. His heiress Elizabeth married Thomas Barry and claimed two parks here in 1330 and looking at the Senior map it is quite clear two did exist [see SMR 29221 for the second park]. (4)