Information for record number MWA6949:
Honington Hall Park (18th century)

Summary The site of a landscape park, kitchen garden and formal garden dating to the Post Medieval to Imperial period. The features include a temple dating to the same period. It is marked on the Ordnance Survey map of 1886 and is located at Honington Hall.
What Is It?  
Type: Landscape Park, Kitchen Garden, Garden Temple, Formal Garden, Loggia, Balustrade, Garden Terrace, Italian Garden, Cascade, Ha Ha
Period: Modern (1740 AD - 2050 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Honington
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 26 42
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
Registered Park or Garden (Grade: II*)
Sites & Monuments Record
Description

  
Source Number  

1
11 Honington Hall’s 72 hectare site comprises 8 hectares of gardens and pleasure grounds, and 64 hectares of parkland. The formal gardens lie principally to the south and south-east of the Hall, with informal pleasure grounds to the east and west. There are further areas of informal pleasure grounds to the west of the River Stour. The park lies in three separate areas to the east, south and north of Honington Hall. The greatest area, to the east, is generally level and today remains as pasture. There are extensive areas of ridge and furrow, and scattered trees and thorn bushes. Some 370m east-south-east of the Hall there is a natural pond, while a flat-topped ridge which extends 600m east-north-east across the park from the garden boundary to the minor road to the east of the park marks the course of an early 18th century formal avenue. The southern park, which remains pasture, is intimately related to the adjoining mid 18th century pleasure grounds; the pleasure ground walk crosses the southern end of the park which forms one of a series of incidents on the 18th century circuit. The River Stour flows from south to north through the park and, retained to the north by the cascade, was widened in the mid 18th century. The east-facing slopes to the west of the river are marked by ridge and furrow, while scattered mature deciduous trees within the park soften the boundary with Ray Wood to the west. The north park, separated from the Hall by the kitchen garden, 17th century farm buildings and an orchard, is approached by a late 20th century lime avenue which replaced an earlier elm avenue aligned on the north facade of the Hall. Today the north park remains pasture with a spinney on a crest of high ground 530m north-north-east of the Hall and marks the site of the late 17th century deer keeper's lodge, but the park does not retain any trees or ornamental planting. Some 300m north of the Hall, immediately to the north of the kitchen garden and farm buildings, and to the south of the north park, an area of meadow and scrub Woodland contains a chain of three or more rectangular fishponds. Today these are overgrown, silted, and in parts dry. kitchen garden The kitchen garden lies 130m north-north-west of the Hall and is enclosed by buttressed brick walls 3m high. The garden is rectangular on plan and is today laid to grass. The wall is breached at the north-west corner, while there is a timber door set in the south wall near the south-east corner. The garden is screened to the south by trees which have grown out from a hedge, while beyond, scattered mature standard apple trees survive from a 19th century orchard. To the east of the avenue which leads north from the stable yard to the 17th century farm buildings and the north park, an area of old quarried land is also planted with mature standard apple trees. There is a further area of kitchen garden 160m south-east of the Hall and immediately to the south of the Italian Garden. This is entered through a wrought-iron gate supported by stone piers with vase finials which is set in a stone and brick wall to the south of the Italian Garden. This area is enclosed to the east by a cob wall fronting the village street, and to the west by evergreen shrubbery; to the south are the late 20th century gardens associated with the gardener's house at the south-east corner of the garden. The northern area of the garden remains in cultivation with soft fruit, while there are footings of glasshouses against the northern boundary wall. This area had been developed as a kitchen garden by 1886.
2 Features of the 18th century design included grotto, chinese temple, cascade.
3 A 1759 painting by Thomas Robins shows a landscape in the rococo style at Honington. Several garden structures shown are likely to have been at least in part the work of Sanderson Miller. They included a Chinese temple similar to that at Wroxton Abbey (Oxfordshire), a Chinese bridge, a Doric temple, a cascade and a grotto. The Chinese temple and bridge have disappeared, but the cascade and temple survive. Also associated with this phase of the park are the walled kitchen garden and a stone lined tunnel leading to the river bank.
8 Early 18th century gardens around house destroyed by later landscaping. Tithe Map shows a reduced area compared to the areas shown on Greenwood and the OS 1' 1st edition; Greenwood shows a northward extension reaching as far as Tredington Mill.
 
Sources
Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Register of Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England
Author/originator: English Heritage
Date: 1994
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Warwickshire Register Review Data Tables (Stratford on Avon)
Author/originator: Lovie, Jonathan
Date: 1997
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Warwickshire Register Review Report & Recommendations
Author/originator: Lovie, Jonathan
Date: 1997
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 11
Source Type: Statuatory List
Title: National Heritage List for England
Author/originator: Historic England
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Map
Title: 53NE 1:10560 1886
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1886
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 53NE
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Map
Title: 54NW 1:10560 1886
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1886
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 54NW
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Map
Title: 53NE 1:10560 1923
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1923
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 53NE
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Map
Title: 54NW 1:10560 1923
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1923
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 54NW
   
Source No: 9
Source Type: Map
Title: Historic Landscape Assessment Maps
Author/originator: Hooke D
Date: 1999
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 10
Source Type: Map
Title: Greenwood's Map of the County of Warwick 1822
Author/originator: Greenwood C & J
Date: 1822
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 8
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: Historic Landscape Assessment
Author/originator: Hooke D
Date: 1999
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
none Registered Park or Garden Parks and gardens that are considered to be of historic importance are placed on a register. The register comprises a variety of town gardens, public parks and country estates. The main purpose of the register is to help ensure that the features and qualities that make the parks and gardens special are safeguarded if changes are being considered which could affect them.

The gardens on the register are divided into three grades in order to give some guidance about their significance, in a similar way to Listed Buildings. The majority of parks and gardens on the Register are of sufficient interest as to be designated as grade II. Some, however, are recognised as being of exceptional historic interest and are awarded a star giving them grade II* status. A small number are of international importance, and are classified as grade I.
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period Modern The Modern Period, about 1915 AD to the present (the 20th and 21st centuries AD)

In recent years archaeologists have realised the importance of recording modern sites. They do this so that in the future people will be able to look at the remains to help them understand the events to which they are related.
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period Post Medieval About 1540 AD to 1750 AD (the 16th century AD to the 18th century AD)

The Post Medieval period comes after the medieval period and before the Imperial period.

This period covers the second half of the reign of the Tudors (1485 – 1603), the reign of the Stuarts (1603 – 1702) and the beginning of the reign of the Hannoverians (1714 – 1836).
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period Imperial 1751 AD to 1914 AD (end of the 18th century AD to the beginning of the 20th century AD)

This period comes after the Post Medieval period and before the modern period and starts with beginning of the Industrial Revolution in 1750. It includes the second part of the Hannoverian period (1714 – 1836) and the Victorian period (1837 – 1901). The Imperial period ends with the start of the First World War in 1914.
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period modern About 1915 AD to the present (the 20th and 21st centuries AD)

In recent years archaeologists have realised the importance of recording modern sites. They do this so that in the future people will be able to look at the remains to help them understand the events to which they are related.
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monument YARD * A paved area, generally found at the back of a house. back
monument GROTTO * A shady cavern built as a garden feature. In the 18th century it usually took the form of an artificial rocky cave or apartment decorated with stalactites and shells in a wild part of the grounds. back
monument HOUSE * A building for human habitation, especially a dwelling place. Use more specific type where known. back
monument VILLAGE * A collection of dwelling-houses and other buildings, usually larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a simpler organisation and administration than the latter. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument FISHPOND * A pond used for the rearing, breeding, sorting and storing of fish. back
monument KITCHEN GARDEN * A private garden established primarily for growing vegetables and herbs for domestic consumption. back
monument LODGE * A small building, often inhabited by a gatekeeper, gamekeeper or similar. Use specific type where known. back
monument RIDGE AND FURROW * A series of long, raised ridges separated by ditches used to prepare the ground for arable cultivation. This was a technique, characteristic of the medieval period. back
monument STONE * Use only where stone is natural or where there is no indication of function. back
monument TUNNEL * An underground channel with a vaulted roof. Use specific type where known. back
monument FORMAL GARDEN * A garden of regular, linear or geometrical design, often associated with the traditional Italian, French and Dutch styles. back
monument PARK * An enclosed piece of land, generally large in area, used for hunting, the cultivation of trees, for grazing sheep and cattle or visual enjoyment. Use more specific type where known. back
monument BALUSTRADE * A row of balusters, usually made of stone, surmounted by a rail or coping. back
monument BOUNDARY * The limit to an area as defined on a map or by a marker of some form, eg. BOUNDARY WALL. Use specific type where known. back
monument MILL * A factory used for processing raw materials. Use more specific mill type where known. See also TEXTILE MILL, for more narrow terms. back
monument FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument POND * A body of still water often artificially formed for a specific purpose. Use specifc type where known. back
monument GLASSHOUSE * A building made chiefly of glass, used to grow plants and fruit in. Use more specific type where possible. back
monument GARDEN TEMPLE * A garden building, usually in the Gothic or classical style. The term can be applied to many types of garden building with an interior space in which to stand or sit. Use specific type where known. back
monument FACADE * Use wider site type where known. Only use term where no other part of original building survives. back
monument ABBEY * A religious house governed by an abbot or abbess. Use with narrow terms of DOUBLE HOUSE, MONASTERY or NUNNERY. back
monument VASE * A large, decorative garden ornament resembling a vase. back
monument ROAD * A way between different places, used by horses, travellers on foot and vehicles. back
monument WALK * A place or path for walking in a park or garden. Use more specific type where possible. back
monument PASTURE * A field covered with herbage for the grazing of livestock. back
monument PIER * A structure of iron or wood, open below, running out into the sea and used as a promenade and landing stage. back
monument CASCADE * An artificial fall of water often taking the form of a water staircase. back
monument BRIDGE * A structure of wood, stone, iron, brick or concrete, etc, with one or more intervals under it to span a river or other space. Use specific type where known. back
monument WOOD * A tract of land with trees, sometimes acting as a boundary or barrier, usually smaller and less wild than a forest. back
monument DORIC TEMPLE * An 18th century garden building, designed in the form of a classical Doric temple, used for standing or sitting in. back
monument LOGGIA * A covered arcade, often attached to a building, open on one or more sides. back
monument GARDEN * An enclosed piece of ground devoted to the cultivation of flowers, fruit or vegetables and/or recreational purposes. Use more specific type where known. back
monument LANDSCAPE PARK * Grounds, usually associated with a country house, laid out so as to produce the effect of natural scenery back
monument STRUCTURE * A construction of unknown function, either extant or implied by archaeological evidence. If known, use more specific type. back
monument FARM BUILDING * A building or structure of unknown function found on a farm. Use more specific type where known. back
monument HEDGE * Usually a row of bushes or small trees planted closely together to form a boundary between pieces of land or at the sides of a road. back
monument STABLE * A building in which horses are accommodated. back
monument ORCHARD * An enclosure used for the cultivation of fruit trees. back
monument HA HA * A dry ditch or sunken fence which divided the formal garden from the landscaped park without interrupting the view. back
monument MEADOW * A piece of grassland, often near a river, permanently covered with grass which is mown for use as hay. back
monument CROSS * A free-standing structure, in the form of a cross (+), symbolizing the structure on which Jesus Christ was crucified and sacred to the Christian faith. Use specific type where known. back
monument ITALIAN GARDEN * A garden designed in the style of the elaborate gardens of the Renaissance, eg. formal, geometrical layouts of lawn and paths, stone steps, balustrades and statuary and fountains. back
monument GATE * A movable stucture which enables or prevents entrance to be gained. Usually situated in a wall or similar barrier and supported by gate posts. back
monument GARDEN TERRACE * A flat, level area of ground within a garden. Often raised and accessed by steps. back
monument BOUNDARY WALL * Any wall enclosing a building or complex of buildings, eg. prisons, dockyards, factories, etc. back
monument SHRUBBERY * A plantation of shrubs. back
monument WALL * An enclosing structure composed of bricks, stones or similar materials, laid in courses. Use specific type where known. back
monument TEMPLE * Use for places of worship. For later landscape features use, eg. GARDEN TEMPLE. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record