Hughenden Park

Summary

An area of parkland situated on the slopes of the valley to the east and south of the Manor.

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Description

An area of parkland mainly situated on the slopes to the east and south of the Manor, and incorporating the stream along the eastern edge of the property. It is grassland set with numerous trees, singly or in groups. Along the western edge is a belt of densely planted beech, west of Middle Lodge, with a less dense planting of other species east of the Lodge. Another woodland belt runs along the east side of the Park blotting out the view of the road from the House or Park.
The park area extends further south beyond the present National Trust boundary. This park was planted by Disraeli and extends to what are now the outskirts of High Wycombe. The original drive was across this area to a now demolished lodge on Coates Lane. Disraeli replaced this with another drive in 1870-1, this joined the Hughenden road (A4128) at a lodge (the original site of the Golden Gates -see 150748). This southern area is maintained as a public park by the Wycombe Borough Council.
The earlier drive ran between the Manor House and the Halfway Farm homestead which the second John Norris had converted into the picturesque residence know as Hughenden Cottage (now demolished) (Records of Bucks 1897). The creation of the Park would also appear to be the work of the second John Norris. Tree ring evidence shows that he planted the majority of the trees in this part of the Park and also the gardens. He also diverted the stream and installed the weirs (see 1846 map).
The 1818 map shows no park and no lodges, access to the House was up one of the two lanes ascending the steep hill from the church or from Downley or along the ridge from Naphill. The map was made at the completion of a Chancery case over the ownership of the Manor. The satisfactory outcome of the case may have signalled the commencement of landscaping around the House. The sketch for the Ordinance Survey 1 inch map was surveyed between 1804 and 1813. This map shows a system of lanes and field boundaries more consistent with later maps than the 1818 map. Hughenden Lodge is mentioned on Coates Lane, this was the old Halfway Farmhouse converted into a picturesque residence by John Norris (R.O.B.1897). The Gate Lodge opposite was a later addition. No park or drive is shown on this map. By the time the published map was produced the drive and the northeast (NT) park had been created. At this stage the park did not extend down to the river. Corrections were made for the production of this map up to 1821 (see David and Charles re-print of sheet 71) suggesting that this initial landscaping took place between 1818 and 1821.
The sepia drawings of the park dated 1840 and displayed in the House show what appear to be quite young trees, supporting an early 19th century date for the planting. Further circumstantial evidence comes from two ring dated trees from within this part of the park, one beech was dated to about 1805 and a turkey oak to about 1810, a planting date in the first twenty years of the 19th century is indicated.
A plan accompanying an application to the Quarter Sessions for the diversion of the Hughenden road in 1828 shows some detail of the eastern part of the park. The object of the application was to divert the road to a course further away from the park. The fish pool and alterations to the course of the stream had been formed by this time but the road ran along its east shore, the diversion enabled the planting of the tree belt. The Lodge was not yet built though a building is shown on the west side of the bridge, perhaps an earlier lodge. The hedge boundary of Well Mead was still in existence, so even then the park had not reached its full extent. The 1844 Tithe map and the 1846 sale map show the structure of the park, the fish ponds (evidently stocked with trout), drive and lodges fully formed. The timber valuation (B.R.O.D47/212(b)/8) mentions Elm, Italian Poplar, Birch, Lime, Alder, Sycamore, Horse Chestnut, Acacia, Plane Colombian Poplar, Maple and Willow, all growing in the park. The maples survive from old pre-park hedgerows and can still be seen today. (See 150795 for other features in the park).
Disraeli extended the park southwards and worked on the woodland areas to the north. Some landscaping may already have taken place here as the area north and west of the walled garden was then called The Grove. This area was combined with other woods and fenced off from the pleasure grounds and the Hanging Wood, and thinned out to produce the ornamental appearance seen on the first edition of the O.S. map (timber valuation and 1881 inventory). Ornamental planting was continued into Hanging and Flagmore woods where the Disraelis created their "German Forest", a system of paths and rides lined with yews and other evergreens (150807).

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