Monument record BNL 017 - 19th century park, Benhall Lodge Park

Park associated with Benhall (New) Lodge see BNL 047. For Medieval deer park see BNL 019 which is associated with Benhall Old Lodge, see BNL 046.

The house, and its immediate surroundings, are depicted in Davy's Seats of 1828 and the earliest cartographic representation of the park appears on a map attached to a sale catalogue. The park came into existence around the time the present house was built. The 1830 sale catalogue describes the park as "well wooded, and belted by a most luxuriant Plantation for nearly two miles". The park covered 76 acres, the yards pleasure grounds and plantations 21 acres, the kitchen garden and orchaerd just over 2.5 acres and the belt clumps within the park a further 20 acres: making a total of just over 120 acers (c.50ha).The park was cultivated for the preservation of game. By 1847, when the Tithe Map was surveyed for Benhall, the park had been extended to the east, although a public road "Park Lane" was not closed. A new drive was created which ran south-westwards from the house to the main highway. The old eastern entrance located at the extreme south-eastern corner of the park - was removed, and the east drive realigned to the northwest of the old position (as it does toda). New planting was undertaken (S1) Depicted as Benhall Lodge Park on 1st edition OS Map (S2).

1994:Archaeological desk based assessment was undertaken for the A12 Wickham Market to Saxmundham improvement. The assessment highlighted the large and import Roman site around the Fiveways junction at the southern end of the proposed road improvement, Aswell as five small prehistoric sites, four small medieval sites and four cropmark sites of unknown date close or on the proposed route. In addition the major historic park at Little Glenham and Benhall Lodge Park are noted as landscapes of regional and local importance (S3).