Monument record 2016/1/0 - Shotwick Park

<1> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 28/82-142 Stewart-Brown R 1912 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

Shotwick Park. lst mentioned in lst yr of Edward III. Nearly all land in manor of Castle Shotwick enclosed c.1327 by the King. Involved making of a ditch, erection of palings around it &, in some cases, a deer leap.

<2> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 20/19-20 Harrison W 1902 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

Park was held for earl by succession of keepers, who sometimes held castle/manor (RN: 2025/1) also. Names of keepers or parkers in 1328, 1351, 1386 & 1396 & succession kept up till reign of Mary, when park of 873 acres with manor, parker's house & fishery in Dee granted on lease, which, in time of Charles II, was converted into freehold & so park became private property of Sir Thomas Wilbraham. Webb (temp James I) speaks of 'that gallant park called Shotwick Park...which is also a fine lodge for the habitation of the keeper of the prince's Highess deer in that park'.

<3> Public Record Office, 1932, Black Prince's Register, 3 (Book). SCH401.

Detailed references to park management in Black Prince's time.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ37SE9 1975 (Index). SCH2487.

<5> Gifford and Partners, 1992, Shotwick Park Estate: Archaeological Audit (Client Report). SCH4215.

Royal Park of Shotwick (also referred to as Burnilhaye Park in Chamberlain's accounts), was formed out of the manor of Castle Shotwick in 1327, the first year of the reign of Edward III. Created as a royal game preserve it was provided with a boundary consisting of a ditch and fence (palings), repairs to both of which are recorded for the years 1357 and 1601. It was a valuable timber resource, large quantities of which were used in repairs to Beaumaris Castle in 1422. It passed out of royal ownership in the reign of Charles II when it was taken over by the Wilbraham family.

The extent of the former park has been preserved by the line of the boundary separating this extra-parochial area from the adjoining parishes and is detectable on the ground, chiefly in the alignment of hedgerows, but also on its north-western side, along the eastern side of Woodbank Lane, the denuded remains of the boundary are visible as a strip of woodland up to 19m in width. In some places the strip is a slight mound (hence 'Woodbank') whereas elsewhere it is a slight depression. Not far from the north-west corner of the former park there is a break in the boundary, potentially original, in the form of an inturned entrance close to Park Farm at SJ3498 7232. Towards the south end of Woodbank Lane, close to its junction with the A5117, the parish boundary crosses over to the west side of the land, but the actual park boundary continues to run along the east side where it is discernable as a very slight mound defined by the roadside hedge on one side and a line of trees some 15m into the field on the other side. Beyond this point, all traces of the boundary have been removed by the modern road system.

Other hedgerows within the park may represent some form of medieval compartmentalisation, although only one of these putative internal boundaries has associated plant species, such as Dog's Mercury, indicative of ancient woodland. It is also an unbroken and almost straight line of hedgerows and footpath running right across the park area from SJ 3435 7161 to SJ 3593 7053, parallel to and c.300m to the south-west of Lodge Lane. There are other potential medieval sub-divisions in the vicinity of the Castle and Park Farm.

The park contained a lodge which functioned as the residence of the head keeper to which were attached 8 acres of land. It is generally assumed that this was on the site now occupied by Shotwick Lodge Farm (SJ 3510 7140). There may have been other lodges inside or along the the perimeter of the park. Parkgate House, located where Lodge Lane enters the park from the south-east, could overlie a medieval predecessor and there could have been a corresponding structure where Lodge Lane passes through the north-west boundary. Additionally, there are surface indications of a small square structure just inside the possible original break in the park boundary alongside Woodbank Lane (SJ 3498 7232).

<6> Gifford and Partners, 1993, Report on an Archaeological Evaluation (Second Stage) of the A550/A494 Improvements: Deeside Park to Ledsham. (Client Report). SCH4310.

As part of an evaluation in 1993 assessing the route of the A550/A494 improvements (Deeside Park to Ledsham), a section of the Shotwick Park boundary was identified and surveyed. This section, comprising both the ditch and bank, is centred at SJ 34293 71722 and lies just to the north-west of the junction of the A550 and A5117. The ditch increases in depth from circa 0.3m just to the south of Grange Farm to circa 4.5m to the west of the property 'Hill View'; the bank is 0.5-1.0m high. Its length is heavily vegetated with fast-growing species such as holly and birch, but also some oak.

<7> Gifford and Partners, 1993, Reccomendations for Further Archaeological Provision Within the A550 and A494 Improvement Schemes. (Client Report). SCH4311.

<8> Earthworks Archaeological Services, 1996, An Archaeological Excavation at Shotwick Deer Park (Client Report). SCH4297.

In 1996 a topographic survey and excavation of a section of medieval deer park boundary at Shotwick Park (see source 6) was undertaken as part of a staged programme of archaeological evaluation in advance of major improvements to the A550 trunk road between Deeside Park and Ledsham. Additionally, a photographic survey of a stretch of surviving earthwork west of Grange Farm was carried out during Autumn 1995.

Three trenches were excavated a section of the deer park boundary due to be destroyed by the road scheme, this lay to the north-west of Woodbank Lane (NGR SJ 3430 7182). In each trench traces of the medieval earth bank were identified, but later recutting of the park ditch probably for use as a drainage channel, had resulted in the removal of early evidence of the corresponding medieval boundary ditch. The excavation indicated that the scale of the park boundary was not great, with dimensions of approximately 6m across and 2m deep from top of bank to ditch bottom. However, the feature, particularly with the addition of a timber fence on top of the bank, would have presented an impenetrable barrier to the park deer. At the southern end of Woodbank Lane, the results of the excavation suggested that a natural slope may have been adapted to form the park boundary.

After the late 17th century, when the deer park boundary had fallen out of use, a trackway of cobbles and pebbles was laid along the bottom of the ditch. An early 19th century map suggests that this trackway may have extended along the entire length of the park boundary. The remains of another trackway, on a different line and running between parallel ridges and gullies, were also revealed. The finds from these trackways, together with the evidence from early maps, indicate that they probably formed part of the network of tracks in use in this area during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

<9> Cheshire Historic Environment Record, 1989, Jill Collens' Aerial Photographs, 6.0567 (Aerial Photograph). SCH9711.