Welbeck Park |
| Hob Uid: 318432 | |
Location :
Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire
Bolsover, Bassetlaw
Holbeck, Elmton with Creswell, Hodthorpe and Belph, Norton and Cuckney, Welbeck, Carburton
Non Civil Parish
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| Grid Ref : SK5661073980 |
| Summary : Landscape park and gardens to Welbeck Abbey. The park was originally documented as a deer park in 1301 and further documented during the late 16th and early 17th century. Landscaping took place during the late 18th century by Francis Richardson with further work by Humphry Repton, who in 1790, 1793 and 1803, produced a series of Red Books for remodelling of the park and creation of pleasure gardens. The gardens were first documented in 1629 as comprising elaborate water gardens, but these had been replaced by 1748 with formal gardens. Also in 1748 Francis Richardson designed new garden layouts. Alfred Parsons and Walter Partridge worked on the gardens from 1899 to 1905. The gardens contains Pulhamite garden features which were mainly installed for the Duke of Portland between 1862 and 1867 by James Pulham II (1820-98) probably with James Pulham III (1845-1920) of James Pulham and Son. The work was included in the catalogue 'Picturesque Ferneries and Rock- garden Scenery' which was published by James Pulham and Son in 1877. This lists a 'Cavernous subterranean entrance from the gardens to the Abbey, and a dropping well for drinking fountain'. Later work, Further work took place in 1892 and included the laying out of ferneries and terracotta vases. Sally Festing (1997) lists a pergola, a rectangular pond, and a very high, textured wall were built by James Pulham III and James Robert Pulham (1873-1957) , in conjunction with Alfred Parsons. Hutching (2010) also identifies several other features as being the work of the Pulhams including the ornate plasterwork on the ceiling of the underground ballroom. |
More information : (SK 572 742) Welbeck Park (Deer Park) (1)
A Deer Park at Welbeck appears on a map by Saxton (c1542-c1610). Thoroton mentions it in 1301, and it is still in existence. (2)
Not located on the ground. Inspection of an Estate Map drawn
in 1748 revealed that there was no park pale shown at that
time and Mr Hill the Surveyor of Welbeck Estate Co Ltd
said that the many ditches, ha ha and tunnel features were
constructed at the request of the 5th Duke of Portland in the
mid 1800s. Th estate boundaries have altered so much over the
years that it was not possible to identify the 18th century boundaries on the present Ordnance Survey 6". (Authority 2 refers only to the park and makes no mention of a pale or leap. There are still free roving deer on the Welbeck estate but I am not convinced that a physical pale ever existed - certainly not in the late 19 century when Shirley was writing). (3)
Medieval deer park documented in 1301 and during the late 16th and early 17th century. The park was landscaped to the east of Welbeck Abbey during the mid 18th century. Further landscaping took place in 1790-93 by Humphry Repton. He was responsible for the extension to the lake into a series of five lakes linked by weirs. Landscaping also took place during the late 19th and early 20th century. Formal gardens were first created during the 17th century, but have been removed. The present gardens date to the late 19th and early 20th century. Some were much simplified during the 1940s. The walled kitchen garden was created in 1744. (4)
Gardens are documented in 1629 as comprising elaborate water gardens, these had been replaced with formal gardens by 1748. Also in 1748 Francis Richardson produced a new garden plan to replace the formal gardens. Alfred Parsons and Walter Partridge worked on the gardens from 1899 to 1905.
The park was landscaped during the late 18th century by Francis Richardson with further landscaping by Humphry Repton, who in 1790, 1793 and 1803 produced a series of Red Books for remodelling of the park and creation of pleasure gardens. (5)
The gardens are also documented as containing Pulhamite garden features, installed for the Duke of Portland in 1862-3, 1867 and 1892 by James Pulham and Son. The work which was carried out during the 1860s was included in the catalogue 'Picturesque Ferneries and Rock- garden Scenery' which was published by James Pulham and Son in 1877. This lists a 'Cavernous subterranean entrance from the gardens to the Abbey, and a dropping well for drinking fountain'. The later work included the laying out of ferneries and terracotta vases. The installation was carried out by James Pulham II (1820-98) and possibly James Pulham III (1845-1920). The site has been included in the national Pulham database (ID number 9) and subsequently published in the gazetteer. (6-8)
Sally Festing states in an article published in 1997 that at Welbeck Abbey a pergola, a rectangular pond, and a very high, textured wall were built by Pulham and Son in 1900 as part of the garden layout designed by Alfred Parsons. It is likely that James Robert Pulham (1873-1957) worked in conjunction with James Pulham III (1845-1920) in the installation of the features. (9)
James Pulham II worked at Welbeck Abbey between 1862-67 and was responsible for lining one of the park's tunnels with pulhamite. Within the park is an underground room which was originally a church but later converted into a picture gallery and underground ballroom. This has a unsupported roof span of 63 feet and is fitted with rectangular skylights. Archive photographs of the ceiling show ornate plasterwork which Hutching has identified as a possible example of Pulham's work. He also identifies a number of other possible Pulham features within the grounds. (10)
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