Monument record MDO5760 - Holt Park, Holt

A deer park built between 1583 and 1595, probably to replace an earlier park. Part of the boundary is marked by an embankment. It had been sub-divided into fields by 1774.

(Centred SU 051058) Holt Park, mentioned in 1485 and possibly in 1348, is marked on a map by Colonel Drew in Dorset County Museum, unfortunately not accompanied by any explanatory notes. The parish boundary between Holt and Horton marks the perimeter of the park on the north side, and on the west and south sides a bank can be traced more or less continuously from 'A' (SU 04540637). It is up to 13 feet wide by 3 feet high, not typical of a Medieval park bank, and extends to the east of Paradise Cottages where its position is confirmed by a 1598 reference to the park pale adoining Crooked Withies (SU 054053). There is nothing on the eastern side of the park to substantiate either of the two boundaries marked by Drew, and it is possible that the park was never completely embanked. <1>

It appears that part of Holt Forest was kept as a park enclosed by palings, in which deer were kept for food and within which stood a lodge, the residence of the bailiff or keeper. <2>

Documentary sources clearly suggest that this new park replaces the old park (SU 00 NE 32) between 1583 and 1590. The bounds of this new park are clearly shown on a map by Rychard Hardinge c.1600. An estate map by William Woodward of 1774, shows the interior of the park has been enclosed. <3>

Wilson, J D, 1979, Medieval Deer Parks of Dorset XVII. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 33 (Article in serial). SDO20707.

‘KINGSTON LACY (25). The extensive medieval manor of Kingston Lacy included the parish of Holt and it was suggested in the ninth paper in this series (Proceedings, Vol. 91) that the deer park at Holt, rather than the parkland surrounding Kingston Lacy house, was the mediaeval park of the manor. Mediaeval documentary references to the park were quoted in that paper. This suggestion was first made by Professor Good, who pointed out that the area of Kingston Lacy park was crossed by several roads of some importance during the mediaeval period. No evidence to refute the suggestion has come to light and the conclusion is that the present Kingston Lacy park is not of mediaeval origin.’

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1970, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1969, 202-205 (Serial). SDO69.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1967, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1966, 197 (Serial). SDO66.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 212966 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Reference to externally held archive: An Historic Assessment of Holt Forest and Holt Wood for English Nature, by Nick Hanks.

Record last edited

Jul 8 2024 7:53PM