Ewelme Park- what evidence remains?

There appear to be various non-natural earth features that still exist to indicate the boundaries and other internal areas of the park. Inevitably with the passage of time much other topographical evidence will have disappeared. Extensive changes have probably occurred, particularly since the Tithe maps of the early 19th century. Plantations have certainly been added, some fields renamed and much altered, and probably areas of old woodland removed.

What I believe was the western boundary along the side of Harcourt Hill is a slightly irregular sinuous line with a very definite bank/ditch/bank feature evident for much of its length. On the old coaching road is a high bank on the north side which, until 30 or so years ago, also had a wide, thick hedge on top, and this may be what remains of a pale and bank feature after many years of agricultural operations on the adjoining 20 acre field. Along the north side of the bridleway between the Park and Huntercombe estate is a ditch/bank or similar feature discernible for most of its length to a greater or lesser extent. The earthwork near Digberry farm is likely to have been connected with the deer or wild white cattle management, and I refer to it later.

Access to the north proposed boundary is restricted for lack of footpaths, but I suspect there may be bank or ditch remains along part of that section. There is what may be an old woodbank still evident on the north side of Straights Plantation.

Beside the present Ewelme Park House (a 20th century construction on the site of the original Lodge) is a much older farmhouse, with a massive external chimney breast. This may well date from the 17th century, and have been built as a parker’s house originally.

There is evidence of what appears to be an old woodbank or similar feature running roughly parallel with the land contours from the south side of Harcourt Hill across to the southern edge of what is now Great Ground plantation and Vernon’s Plantation. The wide field hedgerows in this area running down towards Harcourthill Shaw have high plant species counts, including crab apple, field maple, ash, hazel, spindle (a slow-establishing plant of ancient hedges and woodland), blackthorn, beech, dogwood, holly and cherry. This suggests the hedges are likely to be at least 600 years old and may be the remnants of ancient woodland, pre-dating the Park.