Medieval deer park and post-medieval landscaped gardens, 'Braxted Park', Great Braxted (EHER 18808)

Park and woodland of medieval origin, approximately 200ha, within a larger agricultural estate. A landscape park at Braxted Park (EHER 38821), a country house which was rebuilt in 1751-1756, covering an area of 202 hectares. A deer park is documented in 1342 and formal gardens are documented in 1740. By 1777 changes to the park layout had taken place. Further alterations took place between 1803 and 1823 and included an extension of the park wall and creation of the pleasure grounds. Part of the park became a golf course in the 1950s.

Park and woodland of medieval origin; the associated house (EHER 38821) was rebuilt in 1751-1756. There is a 17th/18th century walled kitchen garden and four 19th century lodges 19th century. (The Church, EHER 8162, forms part of the landscape scheme). The garden appears to have existed to the east of the 1670 house. There is an 18th century Ha Ha, and an orangery of the same period to the rear of the house, it was converted to a swimming pool in the 20th century. The ground falls generally from the south-east to the north-west towards the course of the Blackwater River. There are plantations or belts of trees along most boundaries and further areas of woodland within the park set in open parkland and agricultural land with scattered mature trees. The garden activity before the mid-18th century is uncertain. Peter Du Cane I, laid out further formal avenues in 1752-1755 radiating from the circular forecourt before the south front of the house. These were removed in the early 19th century leaving only the original south lime avenue intact. One small lake existed to the north of Great Braxted church. Four pools were in existence by 1800. In the early 19th century Peter Du Cane II enlarged the pools to make the existing 6Ha lake. An elaborate ice house with a viewing platform (late 18th - early 19th century) stands nearby. The park was enlarged to its 200ha size by Peter Du Cane III after 1822 and enclosed with a 7.5km brick wall between 1825 and 1831. Many exotic trees were planted in the early to mid 19th century. There was considerable restoration of the grounds and replanting of old features from the 1960s onwards. <1> Location, area, boundaries, landform and setting. Braxted Park is situated approximately 5km to the west of Witham, close to the A12. The approximately 202 hectare site enjoys a rural selling and is entirely enclose by a park wall (listed Grade II). The southern boundary is formed by Braxted Park Road and the western boundary by Kelvedon Road, while to the east and north is farmland. The gently undulating ground falls slightly to the south-west towards the course of the River Blackwater which flows approximately 200m beyond the western boundary wall. Entrances and approaches. The principal approach to Braxted Park lies approximately 400m south-south-west of the house. Four single storey red brick lodges (approximately 1828, listed Grade II) mark the entrance, those flanking the drive being attached to panels supporting the wrought iron gates. The gates lead onto The Avenue, a straight drive up to the south entrance front, lined by rows of lime trees, a feature which dates from the early 18th century. The drive dips down to cross the stone, stucco and gault brick bridge (early 19th century, listed Grade II) over the take and rises again to arrive at the grass and gravel forecourt below the south front of the house, which was laid out by Peter Du Cane I in 1752. In the western corner of the park, approximately 850m west-north-west of the house, stands the painted brick and grey slate Witham Lodge and gates (listed Grade II). From here a drive runs east and then south-east through The Rookery woodland along the south bank of the lake before emerging to join the main drive beside the bridges Kelvedon Lodge (listed Grade H) stands in the northern corner of the park, approximately 1.1 km north-west of the house. This two-storey painted brick and pantile cottage was built, like the other lodges, by Peter Du Cane II in the early 19th century and is now (in 2000) used as the entrance to the golf course. Principle building. Braxted Park (listed Grade II*, see EHER 38821) is a large red brick country mansion, built in two storeys with a stone parapet coping under a grey slate roof. The south front has a nine-bay central section with projecting two-bay wings, all with octagonal paned sash windows and central double doors with a flat-roofed stucco surround. Attached to the rear of the house is an 18th century orangery (listed Grade II), now (2000) used as a swimming pool. The house was built in 1682 by Thomas Darcy to replace an earlier one which stood approximately 400m to the west, beside the surviving church of All Saints (of 12th century origin, listed Grade II*). Braxted Lodge, as it was then known, was substantially rebuilt for Peter Du Cane I by Sir Robert Taylor between 1751 and 1756. Enlargements were carried out by John Johnson for Peter Du Cane II from 1804 to 1806, and further remodelling undertaken for Peter Dii Cane III by Henry Harrison in 1834. after which it became known as Braxted Park. The stable blocks (listed Grade II) are attached to the eastern end of Braxted Park and are contemporary with the work of Robert Taylor, with 19th century alterations. The enclosed red brick and tile buildings form a courtyard, the symmetrical south front of which has a central two-storey pedimented arched carriageway surmounted by a small bellcote. Attached to the 18th century east range is a further courtyard range, with a metal water pump (listed Grade II) added to the 18th century range in the early 19th century. Gardens and pleasure grounds. The garden lies to the north and north-east of the house. A lawn below the north front is planted with a mix of mature trees and shrubs. It is bounded to the west by a low brick wall and ha-ha (mid 18th century, listed Grade II). The eastern edge of the lawn is formed by the west wall of the kitchen garden, at the base of which are long borders in which stands a moulded lead cistern (listed Grade II) dated 1677. The walk beside the borders runs north to the end of the kitchen garden wall and then turns east into a small Dial Garden, now (2000) laid to grass and enclosed by beech hedges, but shown as a Fan Garden on Craggs’ estate map of 1822. This in turn leads round to the outside of the east wall of the kitchen garden, along which runs a long raised grass terrace, bounded by a ha-ha (listed Grade II) giving extensive views over the east park. The east terrace was created by Peter Du Cane II at the beginning of the 19th century. Within the park are the remains of two substantial pleasure grounds which were developed to the east and west of the lakes. That to the east is now (2000) woodland, while that at the west end, known as Pondhead Shrubbery, retains some shrubs and fine mature trees. This area has been partly reclaimed and replanted (late 20th century). In Fabian’s Plantation approximately 500m to the north of the house, at the north-east end of the park, Peter Du Cane III planted a further wooded pleasure ground (Elizabeth Banks Assocs 1993) which is shown on the pE edition 6” 05 map of 1874. This had now (2000) reverted to woodland. Park. The park at Braxted is almost entirely surrounded by perimeter plantations and approximately half its area is covered by woodlands. A golf course was created in the north park in the 1950s and the area scattered with a mix of mature and late 20th century tree planting. A mount which looks over the north park lies approximately 180m to the north-west of the house and is crowned by a group of mature oak and lime. The remainder of the open park is now (2000) agricultural land. The core of the park surrounding the house, which has its origins as a medieval deer park, was developed as a landscape park in the 18th century. It was extended to its present boundary when the park wall was built in approximately 1823. To the south and west of the house is The Lake, a large sinuous body of water which was created by Peter Du Cane II in the early 09 from a string of four earlier fish ponds. A the western end of the lake he built Lake Lodge (listed Grade II), with its bridge spanning the western inlet and leading to the Cave/T-iemiitage (listed Grade II) which was probably used as a game larder (ibid) and which he surmounted with a summerhouse. All but the summerhouse survive. At the eastern end of the park stands Pundicts Lodge (listed Grade II), a large 16th century timber-framed and plastered house, linked to Braxted Park by a footpath. Kitchen garden. The walled kitchen garden (listed Grade II) lies approximately 50m to the east of the house, in the centre of the south wall is a pair of tall wrought iron gates leading into the garden which is divided into three compartments linked by a central path running north-south. The northern section contains a tennis court, while the central section is still (2000) cultivated for fruit and vegetables. The southern compartment contains late 09 glasshouses and 20th century frames. Beyond the south wall is a small orchard. The walled garden was built when the house was remodelled in the mid 18th century. It was extended to its present size by Peter Du Cane III in the early 19th century. <1> - <5> Aerial photographs were taken of the parkland and house in 2024. <6> See also aerial photograph <7>. NRHE data transfer: Landscape park covering an area of 202 hectares. A deer park is documented in 1342 and formal gardens are documented in 1740 formal gardens. By 1777 changes to the park layout had taken place. Further alterations took place between 1803 and 1823 and included an extension of the park wall and creation of the pleasure grounds. Part of the park became a golf course in the 1950s. <8> NRHE summary description: Landscape park at Braxted Park (EHER 38821), a country house which was rebuilt in 1751-1756, covering an area of 202 hectares. A deer park is documented in 1342 and formal gardens are documented in 1740. By 1777 changes to the park layout had taken place. Further alterations took place between 1803 and 1823 and included an extension of the park wall and creation of the pleasure grounds. Part of the park became a golf course in the 1950s.