Information for record number MWA6956:
Warwick Castle Park, Banbury Road, Warwick

Summary A mid 18th century park and pleasure grounds landscaped by Lancelot Brown, with late 18th century picturesque additions, together with mid 19th century gardens designed by Robert Marnock and an early 20th century garden by Harold Peto, associated with a medieval fortress.
What Is It?  
Type: Landscape Park, Kitchen Garden, Drive, Bridge, Formal Garden, Boat House, Rose Garden, Rock Garden, Cascade, Pool, Italian Garden, Sundial, Lake, Dam
Period: Modern - Modern (1650 AD - 2050 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Warwick
District: Warwick, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 28 63
(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: I)
Sites & Monuments Record
Description

  
Source Number  

1
9 LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING Warwick Castle is situated circa 250m south-east of the centre of Warwick, to the north-west of the River Avon. The circa 280ha site comprises some 23 hectares of gardens and pleasure grounds, and circa 257 hectares of parkland. The River Avon flows in a serpentine course through the site from north to south-west, while the Tach or Ram Brook enters the site from the east and flows to its confluence with the River Avon circa 1.2km south-south-east of the Castle; the Tach Brook is dammed to form a lake, the New Waters, which extends east to the Banbury Road. ENTRANCES AND APPROACHES Warwick Castle is approached from the A425 Banbury Road to the north-east, where the entrance is marked by a late 18th century lodge. The lodge leads to a tarmac drive which sweeps west and south for circa 100m through a cutting in the sandstone bedrock. The drive emerges from the cutting and passes through 19th century cast-iron gates to reveal a wide panorama of the north-east facade of the Castle. Within the Castle the courtyard is laid out with a gravel carriage turn enclosing an elliptical-shaped lawn. To the south the courtyard adjoins the Mount, while to the west and north of the carriage turn there are further areas of lawn planted with mature specimen pines. PRINCIPAL BUILDING Warwick Castle stands on a bluff of high ground to the north-west of the River Avon, the steep bank of which is encased behind a high 16th century retaining wall from which the walls of the state and private apartments rise. The Castle is constructed around an approximately rectangular courtyard, with the mid 11th century motte, known as Ethelfleda's Mount, situated to the south-west and the domestic ranges to the south-east. Immediately below and to the south-east of the Castle the single-storey Castle Mill adjoins a weir extending across the river. gardenS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS Informal pleasure grounds lie to the north, west, and south-west of the Castle, with formal gardens to the north and north-west. To the north of the Castle the pleasure grounds slope down from the stables to the north-north-west to the moat. The moat is a dry ditch which extends west from Caesar's Tower below the north-east and west walls of the Castle to the Mount. A carriage drive sweeps south from the south-west gateway from the courtyard, passing to the west of the Mount before turning south-west to follow the north-west bank of the River Avon for circa 270m, then turning west to cross the south-west end of a lawn known as Pageant Field. A further drive leads south-east below the Mount to reach a late 20th century timber bridge which crosses the river circa 80 m south-south-west of the Castle to an island which extends circa 650m north-east to south-west below the Castle. A serpentine walk leads north-east from the drive c 20m north-east of the barbican through a series of wrought-iron rose arches to reach a formal rose garden. The rose garden comprises a series of box-edged geometric beds cut in panels of lawn separated by gravel walks. The garden is quatrefoil-shaped on plan, and is enclosed by shrub roses and regularly spaced cast-iron pillars supporting further roses. To the west of the rose garden a rock garden incorporating a cascade and pool is set against the enclosing bank. Some 10m south-west of the rose garden two brick-lined icehouses are set into the enclosing bank. park Castle park extends south and south-east of the Castle, and lies principally to the east and south of the River Avon which flows through the park from north to south-west. Some 1.5km south of the Castle, Spiers lodge, a mid 18th century gothic hunting lodge stands above a steep north-facing slope above the River Avon. lodge Wood, a late 18th century plantation, extends circa 250m south and circa 500m from north-east to south-west along the crest of the escarpment, incorporating 17th century avenues which were retained by Brown in his mid 18th century improvements. To the east of the house a rose garden is divided into quarters by stone-flagged walks which pass under a timber pergola; the centre of the garden is marked by a stone baluster sundial. A rectangular bowling green lies to the north and below the rose garden. An early 20th century wrought-iron gate leads from the terrace to a path. Outside the formal gardens, some 50m east of the lodge, the tiled base and other fragments of an early 20th century timber summerhouse survive in the Woodland; the summerhouse commands an extensive view across the park to the Castle. A flight of steps descends from the summerhouse to a landing-stage. These structures formed part of Peto's early 20th century scheme for the Countess of Warwick. New Waters forms a serpentine, approximately rectangular lake which extends circa 800m from the Banbury Road boundary to a substantial stone and earth dam above the River Avon to the west; the park circuit carriage drive is carried across the dam. The eastern end of the lake is framed by Temple Hill Wood to the north, and Nursery Wood to the south. A tributary stream which flows into the lake from the south is dammed to form a chain of three ponds known as The Stews. New Waters was created in 1789 when a canal constructed by Brown in 1761 was enlarged and extended to the east following the diversion of the Banbury Road. The late 18th century earth dam failed in 1809, and was replaced by the present stone structure. Castle park, originally known as Temple park, was first enclosed by Francis, Lord Brooke (later first Earl) in 1743 from agricultural land to the south of the Castle which had been associated with the Castle since the 14th century. The medieval Earls of Warwick held an extensive deer park of 13th century origin at Wedgnock, circa 3km north-west of Warwick; this park included the manor of Goodrest. In 1597 Sir Fulke Greville was appointed Ranger of Wedgnock park by the Crown. In 1743 many of the deer were transferred from Wedgnock to the new Temple park, but as late as 1910 a small enclosure containing deer survived at Wedgnock. KITCHEN GARDEN The late 18th century KITCHEN GARDEN was situated circa 400m west-south-west of the Castle. The site was developed with domestic properties, Castle Close, in the mid and late 20th century. The garden is shown on the 1st edition 1" OS map of 1834 and Bateman's plan of 1845. The KITCHEN GARDEN was constructed circa 1790 to replace the garden known as the Vineyard. The Vineyard was situated adjacent to Castle Lane, approximately on the site of the mid 18th century stables, the construction of which truncated the garden in 1767. The remainder of the garden was taken into the pleasure grounds circa 1790. A Vineyard had been associated with the Castle estate since as early as 1268 and provided herbage in the medieval period. A house associated with the Vineyard existed by the late 16th century when the Vineyard was described as comprising an orchard and garden of circa 1.8ha within a stone wall.
3 archaeological Observation of the construction of a new path south of the Castle mound over the site of the backfilled medieval ditch, revealed made up ground of probable 18th century date. Some Post Medieval finds.
4 Finds made by metal detectors in 1995: three tokens of the 1650s.
5 Twelve Post Medieval buckles, a key or clock winder and four crotal bells found in Castle park between 1993 and 1995. No individual grid references.
6 Two Post Medieval coins found. The grid reference given was SP288643.
8 Lovie's report notes parkland with boundary planting, clumps, spinneys, lodge Wood with walks and carriage route around park. 17th century formal avenues by Brown; outline of Brown's work remains at time of Lovie's report (1996/7). Lovie comments that parkland survives well although mostly used for agricultural purposes at time of his report.
9 Portable Antiquities Scheme find provenance information: Date found: 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z Date found (2): 1999-01-01T00:00:00Z Date found: 1999-07-31T23:00:00Z Methods of discovery: Metal detector
 
Sources
Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Historic Landscape Study
Author/originator: Warwick District Council
Date: 1991
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 8
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Warwickshire Register Review Data Tables (Warwick)
Author/originator: Lovie, Jonathan
Date: 1997
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Desk Top Study
Title: Warwick Castle Park-Foxes Study: Pictorial evidence for the development of the landscape
Author/originator: G M D Booth
Date: 2010
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 1057
   
Source No:
Source Type: Desk Top Study
Title: Warwick Castle Park-Foxes Study: Pictorial evidence for the development of the landscape
Author/originator: G M D Booth
Date: 2010
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 1057
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Museum Enquiry Form
Title: WMEF 3466
Author/originator: Philip Wise
Date: 1995
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: E/3466
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Museum Enquiry Form
Title: WMEF 3499
Author/originator:
Date: 1995-6
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 3499
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Museum Enquiry Form
Title: WMEF 3382
Author/originator:
Date: 1995
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 3382
   
Source No:
Source Type: Internet Data
Title: Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) Database
Author/originator: British Museum
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No:
Source Type: Internet Data
Title: Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) Database
Author/originator: British Museum
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 9
Source Type: Statuatory List
Title: National Heritage List for England
Author/originator: Historic England
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Observation Report
Title: Warwick Castle: Archaeological recording of path south of Castle mound
Author/originator: Palmer N and Gethin B
Date: 2001
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Report 0127
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Plan
Title: Historic Landscape Study
Author/originator: Warwick District Council
Date: 1991
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.
 		back
source WMEF Warwickshire Museum Enquiry Form. These are forms that are filled in when a person brings an object to Warwickshire Museum to be identified. Amongst the information recorded on the form are details such as a description of the object, where and when it was found, and in some cases a sketch or photographs of it. Copies of the form can be viewed at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
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 Medieval 1066 AD to 1539 AD (the 11th century AD to the 16th century AD)

The medieval period comes after the Saxon period and before the post medieval period.

The Medieval period begins in 1066 AD.
This was the year that the Normans, led by William the Conqueror (1066 – 1087), invaded England and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in East Sussex.
The Medieval period includes the first half of the Tudor period (1485 – 1603 AD), when the Tudor family reigned in England and eventually in Scotland too.

The end of the Medieval period is marked by Henry VIII’s (1509 – 1547) order for the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the years running up to 1539 AD. The whole of this period is sometimes called the Middle Ages.
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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 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 POOL * A small body of water, either natural or artificial. back
monument ROSE GARDEN * A garden, often geometrical in layout, or area for the cultivation of roses. back
monument ICEHOUSE * A structure, partly underground, for the preservation of ice for use during warmer weather. back
monument SERPENTINE WALK * A winding walk, common in early 18th century Rococo gardens and parks. back
monument HOUSE * A building for human habitation, especially a dwelling place. Use more specific type where known. back
monument WEIR * A dam constructed on the reaches of a canal or river designed to retain the water and to regulate its flow. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument FORTRESS * A major fortified place, often a town, capable of containing a large force. If Roman use LEGIONARY FORTRESS. back
monument KITCHEN GARDEN * A private garden established primarily for growing vegetables and herbs for domestic consumption. back
monument BARBICAN * Any earthworks, walling, bastion or fortified outwork, or combination of these, generally with ditch or moat. back
monument LODGE * A small building, often inhabited by a gatekeeper, gamekeeper or similar. Use specific type where known. back
monument BUILDING * A structure with a roof to provide shelter from the weather for occupants or contents. Use specific type where known. back
monument LAKE * A large body of water surrounded by land. back
monument BOAT HOUSE * A house or shelter for the storage and/or launching of boats. back
monument DEER PARK * A large park for keeping deer. In medieval times the prime purpose was for hunting. back
monument CANAL * An artificial navigable waterway used for the transportation of goods. Nowadays also used for recreational purposes. back
monument STONE * Use only where stone is natural or where there is no indication of function. 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 ARCH * A structure over an opening usually formed of wedge-shaped blocks of brick or stone held together by mutual pressure and supported at the sides; they can also be formed from moulded concrete/ cast metal. A component; use for free-standing structure only. 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 TOWER * A tall building, either round, square or polygonal in plan, used for a variety of purposes, including defence, as a landmark, for the hanging of bells, industrial functions, etc. Use more specific type where known. back
monument POND * A body of still water often artificially formed for a specific purpose. Use specifc type where known. back
monument BOWLING GREEN * A closely mown piece of ground used for the game of lawn bowling. back
monument APARTMENT * A room or suite of rooms used as dwellings, eg. in private houses, hotels or tenement houses. back
monument PANORAMA * A building, usually circular, or containing circular rooms, for the exhibition of panorama paintings. back
monument MOAT * A wide ditch surrounding a building, usually filled with water. Use for moated sites, not defensive moats. Use with relevant site type where known, eg. MANOR HOUSE, GARDEN, etc. back
monument FACADE * Use wider site type where known. Only use term where no other part of original building survives. back
monument DRIVE * A road/carriage way giving access from the main road to the house, stables. back
monument PATH * A way made for pedestrians, especially one merely made by walking (often not specially constructed). back
monument ROAD * A way between different places, used by horses, travellers on foot and vehicles. back
monument NURSERY * A room or a building set aside for infants and young children. back
monument WALK * A place or path for walking in a park or garden. Use more specific type where possible. back
monument CASTLE * A fortress and dwelling, usually medieval in origin, and often consisting of a keep, curtain wall and towers etc. back
monument VINEYARD * An area of land and associated buildings where vines are cultivated. The grapes produced are then used to make wine. back
monument COURTYARD * An uncovered area, surrounded or partially surrounded by buildings. back
monument WELL * A shaft or pit dug in the ground over a supply of spring-water. back
monument CASCADE * An artificial fall of water often taking the form of a water staircase. back
monument FIELD * An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock. 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 ENCLOSURE * An area of land enclosed by a boundary ditch, bank, wall, palisade or other similar barrier. Use specific type where known. back
monument MANOR * An area of land consisting of the lord's demesne and of lands from whose holders he may exact certain fees, etc. 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 GATEWAY * A substantial structure supporting or surrounding a gate. May be ornate or monumental, and have associated structures such as lodges, tollbooths, guard houses etc. back
monument DITCH * A long and narrow hollow or trench dug in the ground, often used to carry water though it may be dry for much of the year. back
monument ROCK GARDEN * A garden consisting primarily of rocks and rock plants. back
monument SUMMERHOUSE * A building in a garden or park designed to provide a shady retreat from the heat of the sun. back
monument PERGOLA * Timber or metal structure consisting of upright and cross members designed to support climbing plants. 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 SUNDIAL * A structure used to show the time of day by means of the sun shining on a 'gnomon', the shadow of which falls on the surface of the dial which is marked with a diagram showing the hours. Can be freestanding, usually on a pillar, or fixed to a building. back
monument STABLE * A building in which horses are accommodated. back
monument ORCHARD * An enclosure used for the cultivation of fruit trees. back
monument PLANTATION * A group of planted trees or shrubs, generally of uniform age and of a single species. back
monument ISLAND * A piece of land, sometimes man-made, completely surrounded by water. 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 LAWN * A flat, and usually level area of mown and cultivated grass, attached to a house. back
monument STEPS * A series of flat-topped structures, usually made of stone or wood, used to facilitate a person's movement from one level to another. back
monument STREAM * A natural flow or current of water issuing from a source. back
monument MOUND * A natural or artificial elevation of earth or stones, such as the earth heaped upon a grave. Use more specific type where known. 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
monument DOMESTIC * This is the top term for the class. See DOMESTIC Class List for narrow terms. back
monument RETAINING WALL * A wall constructed for the purpose of confining or supporting a mass of earth or water. back
monument MOTTE * An artificial steep-sided earthen mound on, or in, which is set the principal tower of a castle. back
monument HUNTING LODGE * A weekend retreat for Royal parties and others, when hunting in the Royal forests, or as a viewing station for the chase. back
monument DAM * A barrier of concrete or earth, etc, built across a river to create a reservoir of water for domestic and/or industrial usage. back
monument TERRACE * A row of houses attached to and adjoining one another and planned and built as one unit. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record