NHER 30431 (Designed Landscape record) - Barningham Park

The park is not shown on Faden's map (1797) but an avenue axially aligned on the west front of the house is visible and a lake is situated to the north-east of the house, there is also some indication of an enclosed area to the south (S1). Humphrey Repton is known to have worked at Barningham between 1807 and 1813. It is likely that he produced a 'Red Book' or proposal for park development but it is unclear whether his book survives, but a Red Book was shown to E. Rose (NAU) in 1975 at the Hall by the late Sir Charles Mott-Radclyffe. Repton’s proposals may have resulted in the Road Order, which paved the way for park expansion. Repton also proposed the building of Matlaske lodge (NHER 44528). A ‘before and after’ sketch of the Gardens shows the alterations he planned to make there, (S2) states that if the terrace immediately south of the hall is by Repton then it is the first 19th century garden terrace in Norfolk. The sketch does not illustrate any planned wider landscape changes but (S3) states that lake and avenue predate Repton though he replanted the latter and enlarged the park beyond the old road site (NHER 29598). The Draft Ordnance Survey Map dated between 1815 and 1820 (See (S3) for details), shows that the new road had been put in and planted with shelter belts. This map also shows two avenues at right angles to each other, meeting in the middle of the main park, there are not shown on (S4), although this does not often show individual trees. (S4) shows that the east side of the Garden had lost its enclosure, but was probably still defined by a terrace. It also shows a Kitchen Garden (NHER 44548) in the same position in which it stands today.
A slight alteration in the road line in the north west of the park occurred between 1820 and 1842, which resulted in the extension of the north-west of the parkland by 2 hectares. This may have been associated with the building of the Cromer Lodge (NHER 44526). By (S5), the park extended to 150 hectares, about 50 hectares of which were woodland. The dairy farm (NHER 22733) to the north of the park was now also surrounded by parkland. A keeper’s cottage (NHER 22734) was built in 1860 and dedicated to Garibaldi. New stables (NHER 44547) and an icehouse (NHER 39616) were included in the building programme.
The Park is Grade II listed, see (S3) for more details.
E. Rose (NLA) 25 February 1994.
Updated by E. Nicholl (UEA), 8 November 2011.

12 July 1994. NLA air photography.
Cropmarks visible in grounds of Barningham Hall.
Located to the northwest of the house. The cropmarks may be showing an earlier garden/park feature and consist of linear ditches and 2 pit alignments.
H. Clare (NLA), 12 March 2001.

February 1987. Listed, Grade II.
Listing Description Excerpt:
"Flight of stone steps down to east; on top step a pair of octagonal stone vases with splayed faces having blank Gothick arcading."
Information taken from (S6).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S6) for the current listing details.
S. Spooner (NLA), 11 May 2006. Amended by P. Beers (HES), 03 April 2020.