NHER 30525 (Designed Landscape record) - Taverham Park

The present hall (NHER 7903) was constructed between 1860 and 1861 for the Micklethwaite family although there was an earlier hall on the same site. Taverham Park was created soon after 1784. In that year a Road Closure Order was passed which diverted two public roads passing through the area that was soon to become the park. The map associated with the enclosure (See (S2) for details) suggests that the area through which these roads run was divided into fields, and the hall was only surrounded by a small area of gardens. It also showed that there were a number of woods and plantations already established to the north of the hall. Earlier hedgerow oaks were incorporated into the park.
(S3) shows that the park extended over 180 hectares. However the draft Ordnance Survey made in 1815 (see (S2) for details) shows a smaller park, the western section of which is divided into fields, although interspersed with clumps and plantations.
The most significant changes in the later nineteenth century came in the area surrounding the hall with terraced gardens, flower beds and exotic planting being inserted. It was probably also during the late nineteenth century that the brick and flint wall that surrounds the northern area of the park was constructed, as well as the kitchen garden which lies about 100 metres to the west of the hall. However reference (S1) (copy in Norfolk General file) states that there is a kitchen garden by Soane. By the time of (S4) and (S5), there had been some thickening of the belts and woods in the extreme east of the park, probably to provide a more effective screen from the village of Taverham and the Paper Mill (NHER 7902).
Most of the area of parkland shown on(S5) is now under the plough and a lot of trees have been removed.
E. Rose (NLA) 19 April 1996.
Updated by E. Nicholl (UEA), 15 November 2011.

15 October 1993. NLA aerial photography.
Despite flooding of River Wensum, edge of park is still visible.
H. Clare (NLA) 19 February 2001.

June 2010. Norfolk NMP.
See NHER 53676-7 for details of cropmarks of fragmentary and undated field boundaries and ditches recorded within the western area of the Park during the NMP mapping.
S. Horlock (NMP), 23 June 2010.

August 2010. Norfolk NMP.
The site of World War Two military camp and training area is visible on aerial photographs within the grounds of this park in the 1940s, see NHER 54461 for details. The presence of this camp suggests that the Hall (NHER 7903), or at least the grounds and Park, had been requisitioned for military use. The site consists of a group of military buildings and huts, a firing and/or shooting range and other features relating to military training. See NHER 54462 for earthworks of probable medieval to post medieval trackways and boundaries, some of which may be associated with Drakes Green, and would appear to pre-date the establishment of the Park.
S. Horlock (NMP), 31 August 2010.