Monument record 1623/1 - Poynton Park

Poynton Deer Park was first mentioned in 1490 as 'Parcum Johannis Warren in Poynton'. In 1548 Sir Edward Warren built a new house in the park of Poynton. In the reign of Queen Anne (1702-14) a claim was made on the owner for one buck and one doe yearly for the tithes (taxes) in kind. In about 1750 Sir George Warren erected a large modern house on the site of the earlier house and made a park around it. Deer Parks were used to house deer, which were an important source of fresh meat. A royal licence was required to create a park and only the very wealthiest could afford to create one. The deer were kept in a fenced and ditched enclosure and could be released to allow hunting. Some parks had a system of ditches and banks known as deer leaps which allowed wild deer (the monarch's property) to enter the park but not escape, so increasing the herd.