Medieval deer park, Woodham Walter Hall (EHER 81853)

The site of a hunting park of Woodham Walter Hall (EHER 7781), known from documentary sources. The park was created before 1237 and was enlarged at least once before it was disparked in 1622.

Evidence as to the exact extent of the park was found in a relatively recent group of documents, the tithe survey and apportionment award for the parish dated 1845 and an inquiry form concerning The Parklands of Woodham Walter (ERO D/CT 411; D/DOp B39/102). The latter has not been completed, but it is evident from its contents that tithes were not to be paid on parkland. The tithe map includes only the northern part of the parish, the remaining area must have been tithe-free and therefore parkland. <1> Woodham Walter deer park was in existence by 1238. The circuit of the park has revealed no stretches of great bank. Its boundary was in the vicinity of the village and Curling Tye Green. <2> Apart from evidence from maps, parish boundaries and the tithe award, no obvious evidence of the park, or its pale have been found by field walking. Documentary evidence shows that the Red Deer Park was on the west side, the Great Deer Park on the east. <3> NRHE data transfer, 1206286: The hunting park associated with the manor existed by 1237-1238, when William FitzRichard, custodian of the park during the minority of Robert Fitzwalter, was given orders concerning gifts of does by Henry III (PRO Calendar of Close Rolls 22 Henry III, 12). In 1285 Robert was granted permission to enlarge the park by enclosing an additional 100 acres of 'heathland' (PRO Calendar of Charter Rolls 13 Edward I). In 1511 Sir Robert Radcliffe purchased land called 'Hawkyns' and added part of it to the park (Feet of Fines for Essex IV, 124). In the early 17th century the parkland was progressively converted into farmland (ERO D/DM T92; D/DU 261/2). It appears to have been finally disparked in around 1622. Ryan concludes that the park extended across much of the southern part of Woodham Walter parish. She checked for any survival of the park pale in earthwork form, and found that much was indistinguishable from field boundary ditches, although she noted that some sections were more pronounced. <4> <5> NRHE data transfer, 880272: No plan provided and it is not possible to define its extent. <6>