Monument record 0420802001 - Root-House River, Northern Deer Park, Stowe Designed Landscape

The Root-House River is a narrow curving pond, one of a chain of water features following a natural water course. Also part of the system are upstream, Blackpit, and downstream, Haymanger Pond. The earliest reference to the Root-House Pond is in 1739 when sloping work was undertaken and a carriage drive [Northampton Drive] is noted as crossing the Root-House River. In 1833, four men were employed to transport soil to the embankment. The pond is clearly defined on the 1843 estate map and seems to have changed little in shape. Although it is now silted up. An earth dam forms the SW end of the pond and spans some 55m x 2.5-3.5m high x 4-6m wide. In the centre there is a brick built sluice/outflow or 'Monk' made from blue engineering bricks. The culvert may be part of the original scheme, but may well have been re-designed in the later 19th century at the same time as the Haymanger Pond Sluice. The bank is eroded around the structure and the sluice was noted as non-operational in August 2000. It is also likely that the stream between Root-House River and Haymanger Pond (downstream) has been enhanced to a gentle curve as part of the park's landscaping (18).
English Heritage's survey of Stowe undertaken in 2001 noted that the downstream course of the river between SP67103893 and SP67603908 had been straightened to improve the supply of water to Haymanger Pond. The improvement seems to have taken place before the 1843 estate map was made, and the course may have been improved again in the later part of the 20th century according to aerial photographic evidence (20).