Ragley Hall (deer park)

Description of this historic site

A Medieval deer park, where deer were kept for hunting, associated with Ragley Hall. The existence of the deer park is known from documentary evidence and it was located at Ragley Hall, south west of Alcester. Perimeter of the medieval deer park not identified.

Notes about this historic site

1 Imparked in 1334. Now an extensive park with about 230 deer occupying about 90 acres.
2 The perimeter of the Medieval deerpark was not identified.
3 There is still a deerpark at Ragley, although the Medieval boundary was not identified.
4 18th century landscape park c.280 ha, surrounding 18th century Hall with late 19th century formal gardens near the Hall. Landscaped by Capability Brown before 1758.
5 The crenellated gate house dates from 1381. It was constructed without permission by John Rous, but he was pardoned and permitted to build a fortified house too.
6 As part of the park plan for Ragley Parkland (2013), the evidence for a medieval deer park at Ragley was assessed. In 1332 and 1333, the King granted Burdet free-warren and then a licence to impark land in Arrow. Burdet was therefore given rights to reserve a piece of land exclusively for hunting and reveals his high social and political status. BurdetÂ’s licence has often been used as evidence for a medieval origins of the deer park at Ragley Hall, but this is not supported by the manorial history or the two proposed locations for BurdetÂ’s medieval park, both of which lie outside the post-medieval deer park.

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