Monument record LWT 368 - Former Deer Park, Lowestoft

Site of former Deer Park first recorded in 1377, listed by Hoppit, (S1, S2).
"The deer park was located between present-day Rotterdam Road to the east and High Beech to the west. Its northern boundary was Oulton Road (formerly Oxmere Lane) and its southern limit Normanston Drive (formerly Beccles Way). It was c. forty acres in area and its earlier presence is referred to in a Manor Roll of 22 December 1618 (Suffolk Record Office, 194/A10/73), where Park Field is specifically referred to (p. 53), as well as arable enclosures called Park Close (p. 31) and The Park (p. 51). Another enclosed arable space called Dove House Close (p. 52), just to the west, strongly suggests the presence of a manor house at one time. The deer park centres on TM59 538939 and belonged to the manor of Akethorpe, which was largely (but not wholly) situated to the north of Oxmere Lane and which ceased to be a manor when it came into the control of Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1478. Lowestoft never had a resident lord of the manor and therefore no manor house as such. An Akethorpe account roll of 1438-9 (Magdalen College Library, 73/4) specifically refers to the “site of the manor of Akethorphalle”, which would seem to confirm the connection. The relatively small area of forty acres for the deer park is strongly suggestive of the animals being farmed for venison rather than being allowed to roam free, in a much larger environment, and thereby serving as the quarry for hunting. Its former area is largely occupied today by the Northgate housing estate." (S3).

"Further research into the Lowestoft deer park has revealed that it was not connected with the small manor of Akethorp(e), as was previously presumed to have been the case - though the information which has come to light makes no difference to its location and size. It is revealed in “Calendar of Inquistions Post Mortem, Edward III”, vol. 14 (1952), no. 339, that an enquiry held at Lowestoft on 24 April 1377 had a number of things stated as being connected with the manor there. At least, this is what the record appears to say by way of introduction - and a park is the first thing mentioned. However, the enquiry details then go on to refer to foldage rights in Gorleston and other places, leasehold rights to some of the Gorleston grazing marshes, and control of the ferry across the River Yare to Great Yarmouth. All of which would appear to relate to the manor of Lothingland Half-hundred, rather than that of Lowestoft itself - with both titles having been held in tandem since c. 1211-12. And, in fact, the last thing to feature is a reference to the Half-hundred manor, with “certain rights pertaining thereto”. The enquiry was connected with the death (on 9 March 1377) of Mary Sancto Paulo, countess of Pembroke, who held both manorial titles, and a concluding statement is made that no heir to them was known. Nothing further is known about this particular deer park, regarding its creation or length of time in use. It was obviously the fenced-in eastern sector (probably by dead hedges rather than expensive ditches and banks) of “Skamacre Heath” - an area of rough grazing which continued westwards and northwards into the parish of Oulton. When it ceased to function as a deer park, it was mainly converted to arable use. The Lowestoft Manor Roll of 1618 (Suffolk Archives, 194/A10/73) shows this clearly, with three enclosed fields in its eastern part named as “Park Close”, “The Park” and “Park Field” "(S4).