NHER 30473 (Designed Landscape record) - Narford Park

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Summary

An early 18th century landscape park included in Campbell's Vitruvius Britannica of 1725. The early 18th century formal layout included a geometric formal garden surrounded by a ha ha, ornamental canals and classical garden buildings, see NHER 4014. An impressive north to south avenue is focused on the south front of the Hall, and runs for over a kilometre. By the late 18th century the formal, geometric gardens had been removed and the planting 'deformalised', and by the end of the 19th century a large lake had been created.

Protected Status/Designation

Location

Map sheet TF71SE
Civil Parish NARFORD, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Map

Historic Parkland Grade II, see (S1).
Park with ornamental deer on site by 1720 when extensive formal layout depicted by Colen Campbell and Edmund Prideaux in plans and sketches. Mostly now gone except for grand view south to Eyetrap Plantation where there was an arch. This garden may have replaced an earlier layout some of whose trees survived until 19th century.
Present lake created from former ornamental canal - (S1) say in 19th century, (S2) say in late 18th. Gardens gone by 1886. Few old trees survive, much 20th century coniferous planting.
Information from (S1) and (S2).
E. Rose (NLA), 7 March 1994.

(S3) dates the lake to 1860 and gives detailed description of the very important garden buildings.
See under NHER 4014 for these.
E. Rose (NLA), 4 December 1995.

(S4) states the arch still remains in Eyetrap Plantation.

Note that (S5) has 'Monument' written some distance north of Eyetrap Plantation.
However it may be a mistake meant for the arch.
E. Rose (NLA), 7 March 2001.

  • <S1> Designation: English Heritage. Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England..
  • <S2> Unpublished Report: Norfolk County Council. 1992. Inventory of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Norfolk. NCC Parks and Gardens Survey.
  • <S3> Monograph: Worsley, G.. 1995. Classical Architecture in Britain: The Heroic Age.. p 188.
  • <S4> Monograph: Williamson, T. 1998. Archaeology of the Landscape Park: Garden Design in Norfolk, England, c. 1680-1840. BAR (British Series). Vol 268. p 266.
  • <S5> Map: Ordnance Survey. 1813. OS 1st Edition 2".

Object Types (0)

Record last edited

Jul 30 2025 8:29AM

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