| Summary : A Medieval deer hunting park established by the Abbots of Fountains Abbey by 1458. It covered an area of 212 acres and much of the original circuit of the park boundary survives and is known as Monks Wall. An archaeological survey of the wall in 1981 recorded a substantial wall, similar to Fountains Abbey precinct, mounted on an earthen bank with an external ditch. The earthworks survived, especially between SE 26806670 and SE 26786638 where the bank, with only the wall footings intact, was 5 metres wide and 1.8 metres high, the ditch 0.5 metres deep. In the main, however, the boundary varied between the lower courses of the wall decayed and overgrown, with intermittent traces of the earthwork, recent hedges and walls raised on the original footings, to completely modern features. Following the dissolution, the park was bought by the Gresham family, and was maintained as a hunting estate. |
More information : [SE 26506776, 26086636, 27256700 and 26466704] Monk Wall [G.T.] [SE 26786795, 26226759, 27206790 and 2760 6735] Monk Wall [G.T.] (Remains of); [SE 27476770, 2691 6691, 26736626 and 26256717] Monk Wall [G.T.] (course of)
[Centred SE 26906720] Fountains Park[T.I.] (1)
Fountains Park. Formerly an extensive park now divided into fields, enclosed by Monk Wall, an ancient wall. (2)
Besides the walled close of Fountains Abbey (Monument HOB UID 51860) there was on its south west side a park of above 200 acres, of which half was covered by woods and fish ponds. It still retains its name and is divided into farms. (3)
This park pale has been perambulated and the published survey (25" 1912) revised. (4)
Fountains Park appears to have been enclosed by a substantial wall, similar to that defining the Abbey precinct (1.0m. wide and 4.0m. high), mounted on an earthen bank with an external ditch. Fragments of this earthwork survive, notably between SE 2680 6670 and SE 2678 6638 where the bank, with only the wall footings intact, is 5.0m. wide and 1.8m. high, the ditch 0.5m. deep. In the main, however, the boundary varies between the lower courses of the wall decayed and overgrown, with intermittent traces of the earthwork, through recent hedges and walls raised on the original footings, to completely modern features. At SE 2680 6675, the remains of an auxiliary bank and ditch spring from the alignment of the Park boundary and partially enclose the small hillock of Coney Hill, probably a contemporary rabbit warren.
Also just within the Park at SE 27406760 and apparently pre-dating it, is part of an enclosure probably associated with the grange of Morker (Monument HOB UID 51900). For the extent of the fishponds see (Monument HOB UID 51874 and 51927). (5)
SE 27436708 - SE 27506719. A 120m-long section of the monastic deer park boundary. The earth-and-stone boundary bank is up to 4m wide and 1m high and stone footings for the original medieval wall survive along its length. Scheduled. (6)
SE 2623 6686; SE 2704 6686; SE 2755 6748; SE 2737 6776; SE 2709 6791: Remains of the Medieval deer park surrounding Fountains Park, a hunting park of some 212 acres created for Fountains Abbey and completed by 1458. The monument includes most of the original circuit of the park boundary and 2 sections of earthworks. The monument has been divided into 5 areas of protection which mark the only surviving identifiable remains. Scheduled. (7) |