Site of post-medieval formal garden, The Octagon, Thorndon Country Park (EHER 9964)

Embanked enclosure around 150m across heavily overgrown, especially on the north side. A Post Medieval formal garden, ditch and bank were discovered during an evaluation in 1992 at Octagon Plantation, Thorndon Country Park South.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. Embanked enclosure measuring around 150m across. It is heavily overgrown, especially on the north side. The ditch skirts the outside of the bank on the N side, but has been filled on the S side. The bank survives in parts to over 1m in height, but in places only as slight mounds. The Octagon was part of a grand scheme of improvements initiated by Robert James, 8th Lord Petre (1713-1742), to Old Thorndon Hall and its surrounding park and gardens. Bourginion, a French surveyor, produced a plan of the intended design in around 1733, including the Octagon. In 1737 Lord Petre mentions the Octagon in letters, as the place where he grew plants and seeds from New England. Surveys undertaken between 1778-1808 show a different layout. The enclosure was eight sided with small semi circular projections built into four sides. Excavations in Jan 1992 consisted of six, 1m trenches, all machine dug. No trace of Bourghtons internal design was detected but paths were discovered. This is supported by faint hollow ways on matching alignments in S of the Octagon. The enclosure was not walled nor was the bank, but this does not exclude a possible hedge. <1> Aerial Photographs <2> <3> The site has been partially overgrown but areas are now being cleared. After the site has been trial trenched, a detailed contour survey was suggested in order to produce a full plan of all surviving features. <4>