Site Event/Activity record ECH6221 - Somerford Park- Research and Recording

Research and recording of Somerford Park, A hall and walled garden of 1711-20, (with additions in 1797, 1835, 1860) and a landscape park created from 1788 in consultation with John Webb (1804-05). The hall was demolished 1925-27 on departure of the Shakerley family (occupation 1711-1925), leaving the 600 acre park in divided ownership. Some buildings and drives remain but old parkland trees, the walled garden and pleasure grounds have all been lost, and recent developments away from traditional farming are compromising the remaining historic designed landscape. Note: Recording of the site is fragmentary, limited to aerial photographs and site visits in 2007 and 2014 on public right of way Principal remaining features C18 buildings • All Saints Chapel of Ease (listed II*) (1) • Stables (converted for housing) (2) • Walled garden: small sections of brick wall (3-5) • Ice house (ruin) and associated pond (7-8) C19 buildings • W service wing, now Somerford Hall Farm (9) • Estate Building, bailiff’s house, now part of Somerford Park Farm (10) • Estate boundary wall (11), two lodges, keeper’s estate cottage C18 and C19 landscape features • Drive entering from SE (12) • Drive from A54 to chapel via bridge in steep valley of Loach Brook • Woodlands on N and W perimeter • Some veteran trees (copper beech (16), yew trees by chapel) • Crescent-shaped fish pond • 2 Araucarias in former Victorian S garden