Site of Kenilworth Chase

Description of this historic site

Kenilworth Chase, the site of a deer park which was in use during the Medieval and Post Medieval periods. It is known from documentary sources and is located west of Kenilworth Castle.

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Notes about this historic site

1 In 1165 and 1187 the Pipe Rolls contain references to the park which surrounded Kenilworth Castle. Further references occur in the 13th century. It was considerably enlarged in 1302. In Elizabeth’s reign the park or chase was again considerably enlarged, particularly towards the W, impaling part of Blackwell within it and also a large nook, extending from Rudfen Lane towards the Pool. With the establishment of the Commonwealth the woods were cut down and the Park and Chase destroyed (see PRN 3227 and 3228).
2 Dugdale shows ‘the Chace’, a park extending to the N from Blackwell to the Hundred boundary on the SW. It is separated from the ‘Olde Park’ by the Inchford Brook. From SP2672 to SP2671 a single ditch represents the boundary of the Chase.
3 Map.
4 Briefly described.
5 Registered Park description.
6 A programme of resistivity survey and Ground Penetrating Radar Survey centred upon SP 280 722 recorded several anomalies which had a high potential to be of archaeological origin. These included high and low resistance area anomalies, complex ground penetrating radar responses and inclined events. Due to the small area of the survey the significance of these features is unknown and may require further investigation.
7 Lovie reports that park/chase disparked. Chase Wood to W preserves name; Pleasaunce is earthwork remains to E of Chase Wood on edge of former Great Meer. Chase now agricultural land.
8 Portable Antiquities Scheme find provenance information:
Date found: 2006-05-09T23:00:00Z
Methods of discovery: Metal detector