NHER 30516 (Designed Landscape record) - Merton Park

Historic Parkland on NCC Inventory of Park (S1), but not included in Historic Building Monuments Commission Register of Historic Parks and Gardens (S2).Merton park is situated around Merton Hall (NHER 8956). The first evidence for the park comes from an estate map of 1733 (see (S1) for more details) which shows the park to be about 25 hectares. A linear arrangement of fish ponds can also be seen to the east of the house. In 1757 the great pond was formed and by the time of the 1791 estate map (see (S1) for more details) the remaining earlier ponds seem to have been replaced by a number of less formal ponds. The 1791 map also shows a kitchen garden lying next to the pond. The Road Orders of 1790 and 1793 (See (S1) for more details) formalised the diversion of the Watton to Thetford road which had been rerouted away from the parkland allowing the park to extend westwards. During this period trees were also planted throughout the estate, this included the planting of an avenue to the north of the house.
The enclosure act of 1817 allowed the parkland to be extended into the former Thompson Common, and a long driveway was created from the south. At some point between (S5) and (S4) the Kitchen Garden was removed from its original position and relocated outside the park.
A nineteenth century shell folly (NHER 20134) and a nineteenth century Iron Bridge (NHER 13112) are also visible within the park. An ornamental dairy (NHER 45354) and lodges (NHER 44546 and 44537) were also added in the nineteenth century. By (S4) an asymmetrical area of planting had been implemented. During the 20th century the parkland decreased in size reverting back to the size illustrated on the 1791 estate map.
For more information see (S1) and (S2). Also see (S3) and (S4) for more details.
E. Rose (NLA), 22 March 1994 and 31 January 2005.
Updated by E.Nicholl (UEA), updated by 14 November 2011