Ewelme Park - location, extent and boundaries

The area of the original park, probably established in the late 14th century, lay about two miles to the southeast of Ewelme village, and entirely within the parish of Swyncombe. It was situated on the plateau above the northwest facing slopes of the southern end of the Chiltern Hills between Swyncombe and Nuffield. Subsequently the acquisition and merger of two further areas of land (Haydon Ground and Grendonland) on the west and southwest sides extended it greatly, so that its northwest corner was then just over one mile from Ewelme. Footpaths and tracks from the village still lead more or less directly towards it, and the Ridgeway now runs through its central area.

Ultimately, by Tudor times, it covered an area of about 895 acres (362 hectares) within the adjoining parishes of Swyncombe, Nuffield and, to a small extent, Ewelme. This was a substantial area for a park then - Woodstock (later Blenheim Park) dating from Saxon times was only about 1,000 acres, and the average size of a park was 200 acres. The park was just over two miles wide from east to west, and almost one mile deep.

From the upper, fairly flat, main area, the ground falls away to the bottom of a combe valley on the south side - Huntercombe - and into a broad three-sided valley on the northwest side. This latter valley would have formed a natural amphitheatre, allowing the possibility of viewing the progress of a hunt from a position adjacent to the Lodge house (now the site of Ewelme Park House) built close to the head of the valley.

Seekers of the park’s boundaries today should start at the track crossroads at OS map reference SU660898 and follow the footpath southwards climbing and skirting Harcourt Hill, along what I believe was the western park boundary. At SU659891, on reaching the track/bridleway (originally an old coaching road from Oxford to London), turn southeast and follow it to just beyond bungalows on either side of the track where a bridleway sign points to a wooded hedgeline while the track bears right. Follow that bridleway along the combe bottom, at one point crossing the Ridgeway path, until eventually reaching Digberry Farm at SU692882. This track and bridleway formed the southern boundary. From here I believe the boundary followed the road north to Park Corner Farm before bearing left to pass round the top of Straights Plantation and along its north side. It then probably ran along the valley slope, skirting south of Ewelme Down, to the track crossroads in the northwest corner.