Park pale to the north, west and south west of Hursley Park

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

History & significance

Park pale to the north, west and south west of Hursley Park is a linear earthwork forming part of the defensive or demarcative boundary system associated with Hursley Park in Hampshire. The pale, which survives as a substantial bank and ditch, dates from the medieval period and represents the formal enclosure of the parkland, a practice characteristic of high-status aristocratic estates from the thirteenth century onwards. The earthwork's configuration to the north, west and south west of the main park indicates a carefully planned landscape design intended to define and protect the park's extent. Such park pales were typically constructed to control access, contain deer populations within the enclosed hunting grounds, and visibly demarcate the territorial claims of the estate's owner.

Park pale to the north, west and south west of Hursley Park is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1019124. View the official record →

Questions & answers

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in the UK — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.