NHER 65744 (Designed Landscape record) - Northwold Lodge park

65744
Northwold Lodge Park
A well-preserved small landscape park associated with Northwold Lodge (now Northwold Hall (NHER 65743)). It is shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S1) published in 1884 but is not depicted on the Tithe Map (S2) drawn between 1836 and 1850. The Park is described in a poem by George West of Brandon (See the poem in publication (S3)) penned after his visit to the property in 1858-59 (See W. Rodwell’s notes on the poem (S4)). It was likely commissioned by Captain Charles Amherst Daniel-Tyssen (1804-1882), owner of Northwold Lodge (S2), the second son of William George Daniel-Tyssen (S5) of nearby Didlington Hall (NHER 4821). It is uncertain whether the park, gardens and Northwold Lodge were created at the same time, as no firm date for the construction of the Lodge has been established other than early 19th century (See NHER 65743).
West’s poem describes numerous structures and features of the park, and many of these can clearly be seen on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S1), noted below with grid references. He writes about an aviary, fountain, cricket ground, Gothic arch, pheasantry, dovecote, possibly a smoke house, and an icehouse beneath a mound topped with a weeping ash and seat. The only one of these features that can be located and identified is the icehouse as this survives and is recorded under NHER 30148 at TL 76271 96685.
A large greenhouse is mentioned in the poem, and this structure appears to be shown in the foreground of a sketch of Northwold Lodge from the Wilkinson family archive dated to between 1834 and 1905 (S6). The location of the greenhouse in relation to Northwold Lodge in the sketch suggests that the greenhouse may correspond with a structure shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S1) at TL 76223 96680. The greenhouse may have survived into the late 20th century as one is mentioned in the 1972 sales particulars for the Estate (S7).
The poem describes parkland with clumps of trees, and these can be seen on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S1) and on all later editions centred on TL 75931 96874, TL 76000 96932, TL 76115 96880, TL 76073 96809, and TL 76010 96783. The Second Edition Ordnance Survey map (S8) suggests that by 1904 a structure had been built at TL 75985 96925 alongside the north-westernmost stand of trees. All but one of these groups of trees (TL 76010 96783) appears to have survived in the modern landscape as evidenced on Google Earth imagery (See 2019 Google Earth Image (S9)).
West describes an ornamental garden of shrubs and flowers to the north of the Lodge, plus a stream next to the boat house sited at TL 76362 96888. Also, a seating area on the River Wissey, two fishponds, one of which included an island for ducks at TL 76263 96898, osier beds and a bathhouse.
The Second Edition Ordnance Survey map (S8) indicates four footbridges across the linear water features in the area around the ponds (TL7635996870, TL7630796882, TL7624196917 and TL7623996903), as well as a sluice system on the western edge of the largest pond at TL 76239 96903, where it joins the approximately north-south running tributary leading from the River Wissey and bisecting the Park. The 2004 Ordnance Survey MasterMap (S10) suggests that both ponds and the linear water features from the park survive largely intact, although the larger of the two ponds has been extended southwards and the duck island no longer survives at its centre.
The location of the bathhouse is unknown, but a square structure set within a small, enclosed area is shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S1) at TL 75963 96962. This is the only structure located close to the river, other than the boathouse, which is clearly labelled on maps (S1), and the enclosed area would have provided good privacy for bathing.
The poem describes an outbuildings complex located on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S1) at TL 76369 96759. West records that the complex was sited within a 'pit' and included a corn barn, hay lodge, pigsties, milking parlour, a water pump house, fowl-house, implement shed, coach house, tack room and two stables. A complex of buildings can still be seen at this site on Google Earth imagery (S9) and the 2004 Ordnance Survey map (S10), and some of the structures correspond with buildings depicted on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S1). However, the survival of structures contemporary with and relating to Northwold Lodge has not been confirmed by field observation. This complex of buildings is now a separate dwelling (5 Little London Road, Northwold) and was known in the sales particulars for the Estate in 1972 as 'Keeper's Cottage' (S7).
A perimeter path can be seen circumnavigating the Park on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S1) and West comments on a small gate in the corner of the park with a summerhouse nearby. In his notes on West’s poem Rodwell states that the corner gate survives in the south-west corner of the park (S4). A further original entranceway survives halfway along the southern side of the park at TL 75909 96781. This can be seen on both the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S1) and 2022 Google Earth Street View imagery (S11).
The perimeter path leads eastwards towards the main entranceway to the park and Northwold Lodge. West describes an iron gate and carriage drive. One access at TL 76251 96602 and the eastern arm of the carriage drive survives as the present access and driveway to Northwold Hall and 5 Little London Road. The western arm of the carriage drive is visible on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S1) but can be seen to have gone out of use by the time of the survey (1882-83). The access has been closed off and the area has been incorporated into gardens south of the Lodge.
These gardens, West reports, grew fruit and vegetables, and the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S1) shows that they were walled off from the former western arm of the carriage drive and divided into three areas by paths. This layout survived into the mid-20th century as is evidenced on the 1946-1960 RAF aerial photographs (S12).
The extent of the original landscape park has been estimated from the depiction on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S1) and from the Estate set out at just over 46 acres in the 1972 sales particulars for Northwold Lodge Estate (S7).
Also see correspondence (S13).
A. Beckham (HES), 24 August 2022.