Coughton Court grounds

Description of this historic site

Gardens and parkland surrounding Coughton Court, with elements dating from the Post Medieval period onwards.

Notes about this historic site

1 The grounds of the Grade I Listed house include an avenue, formal garden with circular pond, lawns, kitchen garden, further ponds. New formal gardens have been created since c1990, and some of the avenues and walks restored. Recommended for inclusion on the Parks and Gardens Register.
2 There was no major designed landscape around Coughton Court, but there have been several phases of gardening and landscape activity. The pleasure grounds lie mainly east and south of the house, by the River Arrow, but meadow to the west also forms part of the parkland. Estate surveys show the development of the grounds: by 1695 the fish ponds and weir/ mill stream existed; by 1746 a walled kitchen garden had been created. Between 1783 and 1795 a scheme of improvements was carried out, including the infilling of the moat and the creation of a new drive. A watercolour of c1850 shows a formal parterre in the courtyard, and by the late 19th century the area of parkland appears to have been extended west and east. Since 1989 new formal gardens have been created, river walks restored, and several garden structures introduced. However, the basic layout remains that of the 1740s.
3 The OS 1:10560 1886 Sht Warks 37NW shows a number of features in the grounds, including an avenue to the west, and formal layouts to the south of the church.
4 The OS 1:10560 1906 Sht Warks 37NW shows the area of parkland at that date shaded.
5 Shown as a park by Greenwood and on OS 1st ed. 1′.
6 Illustrative map for above, showing ‘park’ and ‘coney’ field names north of the house.
7 Greenwood’s map.
8,9, 10. GPR, resistivity, magnetomery was carried out to the west of Coughton Court House in association with a flood alleviation scheme. Evaluation trenches were subsequently dug. This fieldwork recorded some possible structures visible on Thorpe’s map of 1764, and features relating to stew ponds. A former line of the southern drive was also recorded. Some evidence for the moat was recorded, all traces of which were removed in the 18th century remodelling of the parkland.
11A Watching Brief was undertaken on a very narrow, shallow service trench, which followed the course of existing services. No significant deposits were recovered.

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