Landscape record 0202203000 - CLAYDON (G127)

GRADE II. MID & LATE C18 LANDSCAPE PARK & WOODLAND WITH PARKLAND ROUND CLAYDON HOUSE. FURTHER GARDEN DEVELOPMENT LATE C19. WALLED KITCHEN GARDEN C19 150M SE, WITH CENTRAL CIRCULAR BASIN. THIN BELTS OF TREES ALONG MOST BOUNDARIES. IN 1763 JAMES SANDERSON OF READING BEGAN TO LANDSCAPE PARK & BUILD LAKE [FURTHER DETAIL & MAP](B8).
THE EAST WALL OF THE GARDEN HAS AN ARCHED DOUBLE OPENING WITH AN IRON GATE AND AN ARCHED SINGLE OPENING. BETWEEN THEM IS A MOON HOLE ABOUT 2 1/2M IN DIAMETER (B10).
QUEEN VICTORIA'S PLAQUE: (75CM BY 60CM). 1897, CELEBRATES QUEEN'S 60 YEAR JUBILEE. LOCATED IN THE NORTH WALL ON EAST SIDE OF THE GARDEN. TERRACOTTA. ROUNDEL CONTAINING PROFILE HEAD OF QUEEN VICTORIA. SET IN DECORATIVE BRICK WITH FLORAL EMBLEMS OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND & IRELAND (B10).
WELL: ARCHED OPENING IN A BANK ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE LAWN. BRICK LINED. INTERIOR IS CIRCULAR WITH IRON GRILL OVER THE OPENING (B10).
IRON GARDEN GATE: 2 DECORATIVE IRON GATES 2M HIGH BY 1M WIDE. REPOUSSE WORK BELIEVED TO BE BY THE SAME SMITH AS THE GREAT STAIRS (B10).

Post-medieval and 20th century landscape parkland features are visible on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data as earthworks and were mapped as part of the North Buckinghamshire Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18304). Located throughout landscape parkland surrounding Claydon House and centred at SP 71886 25399, many of the 18th, 19th and 20th century parkland earthworks are focused to the west of the park, created within and cut into large blocks of pre-park medieval ridge and furrow cultivation earthworks. The 1813 Ordnance Surveyors’ Drawing shows the parkland being sparsely wooded at that time. However, by 1880, the 1st edition OS map shows that blocks of woodland had been planted and there are six tree enclosure enclosures of various sizes (3 orange segments shaped, 1 large and 2 small oval shaped). Aerial photographs taken in 1946 show that all of these 19th century woodlands have been cleared by that time, though the boundary ditches remain extant. Many of the individual parkland trees visible in 1946 have subsequently been felled, the tree throws from many of which are still visible as small circular pits. Two rectilinear ditched tree enclosures that are recorded on the 1st edition OS map dated 1880 were still extant on 1946 aerial photographs were only cleared after 1973, though the boundary ditches remain visible. Similarly, three small oval ditched tree enclosures planted between 1880 and 1899 visible on 1946 aerial photographs were only cleared after 1973 and the boundary ditches remain visible. Other probable parkland features are a subrectangular earthwork platform about 47 x 24 metres, abutting sinuous parallel double-ditches leading from Catherine Farm towards Claydon House, possibly a trackway. To the north of the house, linear earthwork banks match drives recorded on the 1813 and 1880 dated OS maps that have been subsequently grassed over and not visible on the 1946 dated aerial photographs. A curving ditches to the east of the house matches the boundary of its immediate grounds, whilst to the west is a ha ha (Bucks HER No 0202203004/ MBC22507). To the SE of the house and constructed over a block of medieval ridge and furrow cultivation earthworks, a linear earthwork bank about 180 x 11 metres extends NW-SE, though its purpose is unclear (11-19).