Monument record 331/2 - Ridley Deer Park

<1> Speed J, 1610, The County Palatine of Chester (Maps and Plans). SCH2110.

This map depicts a large park on the eastern side of the River Weaver, east of Bulkeley. The western boundary of the park is defined by the river, and the park encloses Ridley with woodland to the south.

<2> Leyland J, 1538-43, Itineraries (Manuscript). SCH1492.

<3> Toulmin Smith, L, 1910, The Itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Volume 5), p.28 (Book). SCH9489.

Leyland refers to a large pool near Ridley "a mile or more in length". There is also reference to Ridley Hall (see CHER 331/1/2) and a very large p[ark]. He states that the hall was made the “fairest gentleman’s house of all Cheshire” by Sir William Stanley (1435-85). The park may be of a similar date.

<4> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Turner R, 07/07/1988 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

The pool may have been artificial, for it has now gone. It may have formed the western boundary of the park and have been fed by the River Weaver.

<5> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Vol.II p.301 (Book). SCH1389.

Ridley Mere has long been drained and brought into cultivation.

<6> Edwards R, 2008, The Cheshire Historic Landscape Characterisation, HCH5747 (Report). SCH4463.

<7> See map for surveyor, c.1837-51, Cheshire Tithe Maps and Awards, EDT 340/2, 1839 (Maps and Plans). SCH3266.

<8> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Edwards R, 26/09/2023 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

The Cheshire HLC Project (see 6) identified a possible c.160 hectare sub-circular or sub-square enclosure defined by the A534 Wrexham Road to the north, a field boundary possibly marking the edge of the nineteenth century enclosures on Ridley Green in the east, the Ridley and Cholmondeley township boundary in the south, and a poorly defined western boundary at Ridley Farm. The project interpreted the enclosure as a medieval deer park, enclosed for farming sometime before 1700. Notably three plots recorded by the tithe award (see 7) within this enclosure incorporate park in their name (Great Park Field, Little Park Field, and Park Barn Field). However, there is some discrepancy with the depiction on Speed’s map (see 1), in particular the location of Ridley (Hall).