Monument record 0420802038 - South Lawn, Stowe

Summary

Site of eighteenth century lake and formal garden recorded in aerial photographs

Protected Status/Designation

  • SHINE: Stowe medieval to post medieval landscape garden, medieval deserted villages of Lamport & Boycott, shrunken village of Daford, also moats, manors and fishponds, ridge and furrow earthworks & cropmarks, and areas of ancient semi natural woodland

Map

Type and Period (2)

  • ORNAMENTAL LAKE (18th Century - 1700 AD to 1799 AD)
  • FORMAL GARDEN (18th Century to 19th Century - 1700 AD to 1899 AD)

Description

Dimensions - Length 62m, Width 27m.
PARCH MARKS NOTED ON LAWNS ON S FRONT IN DRY SUMMERS OF 1976 & 1990 INCLUDED THE DISTINCT OUTLINE OF BRIDGEMAN'S GREAT BASIN, APPROX 62 X 27M WIDE AT WIDEST POINT (15.5M WIDE AT NARROWEST). OTHER FEATURES NOTED PROBABLY INCLUDE BORDERS OF THE CENTRAL WALK (SEE REPORT & PLAN & COMMENTS ON OCTAGON LAKE) (B16).
It seems likely that some of the parchmarks noted in 1990 do indeed co-incide with the Bridgeman's plan of the formal garden from 1739. Others marks have been interpreted as cartwheel tracks and more modern pipe trenching. Archive material includes a plan (B18).
Geophysical survey carried out by MOLA Northampton in March 2020 and March 2021 identified a weak negative anomaly interpreted as the distinctively shaped edge of the pond on the South Front. A dog-legged row of closely-spaced ferrous anomalies between the site of the South Front Pond and the northern edge of Bridgeman's Canal [CASS 0420802070] is interpreted as a historic pipe supplying a head of water from the pond to the former fountain in the centre of Bridgeman's Canal (shown in an engraving of 1739). Other rows of similar anomalies radiating from the eastern end of the pond may be other historic water pipes. See report for detail (B85).

Sources (26)

  • ---SBC17422 Aerial Photograph: 04/09/76. BCM A2/11/20-22. SP\674376. Yes.
  • ---SBC19951 Aerial Photograph: Northamptonshire County Council. 1990. Stowe House and Landscape Gardens. SP674373. Yes.
  • ---SBC19952 Aerial Photograph: Northamptonshire County Council. 1990. Stowe Park (lawn to S of Stowe House). SP674375. Yes.
  • ---SBC19953 Aerial Photograph: Northamptonshire County Council. 1990. Stowe landscape gardens (S lawn). SP674373. Yes.
  • ---SBC19958 Aerial Photograph: Northamptonshire County Council. 1995. Stowe House and Park - core of designed landscape. SP675375. Yes.
  • ---SBC19979 Unpublished document: Mike Farley and Angus Wainwright. 1990. Correspondence relating to the parchmarks noted on the South Lawn, Stowe, in 1990.
  • ---SBC20023 Unpublished document: English Heritage. 2001. Stowe Park, Stowe, Buckinghamshire: An Archaeological Survey by English Heritage (Survey Report).
  • <1>SBC9229 Bibliographic reference: C Morris (ed). 1949. The Journeys of Celia Fiennes c1694. pp29-30.
  • <2>SBC14098 Bibliographic reference: SEELEY B 1766 STOWE, A DESCRIPTION OF THE MAGNIFICENT HOUSE & GARDENS (WITH ILLUS) (ARE VARIOUS ED.
  • <3>SBC16278 Bibliographic reference: VERTUE G ET AL; ENGRAVINGS IN SOC OF ANTIQUARIES RED PORTFOLIO P24.
  • <4>SBC7809 Bibliographic reference: LIPSCOMB 3 PP84-108 (FULL DESCRIPTION & ILLUS OF MANSION, APARTMENTS, CONTENTS & GARDENS).
  • <5>SBC14400 Bibliographic reference: SHEAHAN PP304-8 (FULL DESCRIPTION OF HOUSE, GARDEN TEMPLES &C).
  • <6>SBC16094 Bibliographic reference: VCH BUCKS 4 PP229-233 (FULL DESCRIPTION, ILLUS, GROUND PLAN, MANORIAL HISTORY).
  • <7>SBC11805 Bibliographic reference: PEVSNER N 1960 BUCKINGHAMSHIRE PP251-265 & ILLUS (FULL DESC, & ACCOUNT OF WORK SINCE HOUSE BECAME A.
  • <8>SBC10383 Map: Ordnance Survey. 1958. OS 1958 6IN MAP. 1:10,560.
  • <9>SBC16531 Bibliographic reference: WHISTLER L, GIBBON M & CLARKE G 1974 STOWE, A GUIDE TO THE GARDENS (HAS A FULL BIBLIOGRAPHY ON PP37-.
  • <10>SBC2990 Bibliographic reference: CLARKE G 1976 (JULY) SLIDES OF AIR PHOTOS TAKEN JULY 1976 FROM A BALLOON SHOWING FORMER GARDEN FEATU.
  • <11>SBC2991 Bibliographic reference: CLARKE G 1979 (DEC) LETTER RE ICE HOUSES (ON CAS FILE) ALSO OS 1880/5 6-INCH 1:10560 (1ST EDN).
  • <12>SBC8335 Unpublished document: MEEHAN J 1988 STOWE; ELYSIAN FIELDS TREE & LEVEL SURVEY (TYPESCRIPT REPORT & MAP, FILED).
  • <13>SBC16362 Bibliographic reference: WAINWRIGHT A 1989 NATIONAL TRUST ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY: STOWE (COPY, FILED).
  • <14>SBC3681 Bibliographic reference: DoE. 1983. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.
  • <15>SBC9897 Bibliographic reference: NATTES C 1805-9 COLLECTION OF 105 SKETCHES & DRAWINGS OF STOWE (AT BCM).
  • <16>SBC16364 Bibliographic reference: WAINWRIGHT A 1993 REPORTS ON THE STOWE PYRAMID, THE SAXON DEITIES & THE SOUTH FRONT (COPIES, FILED).
  • <17>SBC4634 Bibliographic reference: English Heritage. 1994. REGISTER OF PARKS & GARDENS OF SPECIAL HISTORIC INTEREST IN ENGLAND: BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. Part 4.
  • <18>SBC19992 Unpublished document: Angus Wainwright. 1989. The National Trust Archaeological Survey: Stowe. pp27, 42.
  • <85>SBC26751 Unpublished document: MOLA Northampton. 2021. Archaeological Geophysical Survey at Stowe Landscape Gardens March 2020 to March 2021.

Location

Grid reference SP 67520 37355 (point)
Civil Parish STOWE, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (3)

  • Event - Survey: (EBC11081)
  • Event - Survey: (EBC14475)
  • Event - Survey: Geophysical survey (Ref: ENA 9607) (EBC18607)

Record last edited

Mar 5 2024 3:31PM

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