Monument record NAC 041 - Orwell Park (PMed)

Deer park said to have been laid out by Francis Vernon, Earl of Shipbrook before 1764 (S1).
Park is not shown on Emanuel Bowen's map of 1755 (S2), but is shown on Hodskinson's map of 1783 (S3). Francis Vernon succeeded his uncle, Admiral Edward Vernon, here in 1757 and died in 1783. In 1892 the park consisted of 200 acres containing 200 deer (S4).
Nacton Tithe map, 1838, shows a "Deer Yard" within the park at TM 2102 3957 (C), a "Keepers House" at TM 2156 3955 (C) on the edge of the park and another "Deer Yard" at TM 2188 3938 (C) on the edge of the park, adjacent to Shore Lane; the building adjoining the North side of the last Deer Yard is called The Buck House! The majority of the deer park is now in the grounds of Orwell Park House (built in the 1930's for the Pretymans, owners of the estate, by N. & D. Spain, London (S5)(S6)), the remainder is in the grounds of Orwell Park School (the original house - see NAC 042).
Park laid out for Lord Orwell (later Earl of Shipbrook) before 1764 (S7).
A substantial and well defined ditch is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of the park, running from TM 21093967 to TM 20833940. It starts at the northern boundary of the park and terminates at Orwell Park House. It may just be a drain or it may represent some form of landscaping or boundary related to the park. (S8) (S9)
See also (R1).

Extensive evidence for a pre-parkland landscape of ridge and furrow cultivation is clearly visible on LIDAR