NHER 30503 (Designed Landscape record) - Great Hockham Park

The earliest map of the park is Faden’s map (S4) surveyed in 1794 which shows a rectangular area of c.30 hectares, lying across the centre of the later park. There are west and north drives leading to the Hall. At that time, the park does not include the Holy Trinity Church (NHER 9047) which is positioned north-east of the park. However a Road Closure Order of 1790 indicates that the park was going to be extended eastwards. The road ran south from Great Hockham village to Little Hockham, east of Great Hockham Hall (NHER 21180) and the church. The new road was positioned a quarter of a mile further east of the Hall, allowing it to become more isolated and creating more of a park. This new road is on Faden’s map.
An estate map of c.1801 (S1) shows that much expansion occurred after Faden’s map. The park now covered an area of c.70 hectares as it had expanded in all directions. A tree belt was planted along the north, west and southern boundaries of the park, and many small tree clumps are dotted about the park. A major tree belt runs across the park, south-west to north-east, to the north of the Hall. It follows the earlier north-west boundary of the park. By 1812 it extends to enclose the church. Two drives lead to the Hall, one from the south-east, and the other from the north-west. The kitchen garden lies immediately north of the Hall, enclosed by a circular tree belt. Between 1815 and 1820, a plantation was planted west of the park, which is shown on the c.1817 Draught Ordnance Survey map (S1). In 1818 the tree belt in the south-west corner was thickened.
The 1830 estate map (S1) shows a huge park expansion to the south, adding extra c.25 hectares to the park, labelled as ‘Hall Meadow’ and planted with a number of standing trees. There was a small tree belt planted in the south-west corner of this land. On this map, the land immediately surrounding the Hall is labelled as ‘The Park’ and ‘High Meadow’, and to the east ‘Upper Park’. It is likely that this land was the aesthetic parkland and the surrounding land of ‘Home Pasture’ to the north-east and ‘Hermitage Place’ north-west, was not. The map shows a new driveway running south from the village to the Hall; this drive is still in use today. After 1830 an eastern tree belt was planted. ‘Hall Meadow’ is shown on an undated c.1850 estate map as parkland and the tree belt north of it is thinned and partly removed, and there is a newly inserted lake in place.
The 1907 Ordnance Survey map (S5) shows the estate is c.55 hectares. The square plantation to the west is now fully planted up as a block of woodland. The ‘Hall Meadow’ is no longer a part of the park. The Fish Pond south of the Hall has a Boat House.
Within the estate there is a wide variety of trees including an exotic Wellingtonia.
Late 18th century kitchen garden part remains, as does a 19th century formal garden and shrubbery, and what the inventory calls a 'version house' presumably meaning a venison house.
See (S1), (S4) and (S5).
E. Rose (NLA), 17 March 1994.
Updated by C.Hurst (UEA) 8 November 2011.

13 May 1994. NLA air photography.
Bounds of park and game larder clearly defined on series of photos of Hockham Hall.
S. Massey (NLA), 6 February 2001.

July 2009.
Application for permission to change use of land to recreational lake received.
See (S3) for further details
H. White, (NLA), 11 August 2009