Monument record 0017600000 - HILLESDEN HOUSE

Summary

Site of seventeenth century country house, destroyed 1643/4 in the Civil War and subsequently rebuilt.

Protected Status/Designation

Archaeological Notification Area: Earthworks of 17th century mansion and gardens, and Civil War seigeworks (DBC8865)
SHINE: Hillesden House medieval to post medieval manor site with fishponds and garden, also Civil War ploughed out earthworks (DBC7450)

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Type and Period (2)

GREAT HOUSE (Burnt down 1643, 17th Century - 1600 AD to 1699 AD)
COUNTRY HOUSE (Built 1648, 17th Century to 19th Century - 1600 AD to 1899 AD)

Description

Hillesden House destroyed in Civil War action, 1643 (B2-3,B10, B13, B20).
Rebuilding begun by 1648 (B10).
Descriptions c.1694 & 1735 (B6,B8).
Demolished probably between 1824-33 (B12).
Field visit 1972 noted house platform & other features (B7).
Modern house now on site (1990 APs).
NGR to house site (B5).

(SP 68622875) Hillesden House (NR) (Site of) (B26).
Irregularities in the ground E of Hillesden Church mark the foundations of Hillesden House, destroyed during the Civil War in 1644, rebuilt and finally pulled down in 1824 (B4).
Further east the remains of three terraces, the brick walls of the gardens and the fishpond suggest the layout of the grounds (B27).
The published (25") site is correct, the position of the house being marked on the ground by a slight depression. The other features published on the OS 25" are, as suggested above, the remains of garden terracing and an ornamental pond (B28).

NRHE Insert 2004 (B29).

This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 4 June 2025 licensed under the Open Government Licence.

Sources (30)

---SBC17365 Aerial Photograph: 13/08/90. BCM A14/15/14-16. SP\686287. Yes.
<1>SBC1967 Map: Andrew Bryant. 1825. Map of the County of Buckinghamshire. Printed map. Linen. 1.5 inches:1 mile.
<2>SBC13797 Bibliographic reference: Rev A Roundel. 1857. SOME ACCOUNT OF THE TOWN OF BUCKINGHAM: A LECTURE PP17FF.
<3>SBC13291 Article in serial: RECS OF BUCKS 1857-61 2 PP93-98. Vol 2.
<4>SBC20467 Bibliographic reference: Royal Commision on Historical Monuments. 1913. Historical Monuments in Buckinghamshire. Volume 2. pp150-151.
<5>SBC10396 Map: Ordnance Survey. 1959. OS 1959 6-INCH MAP. 1:10,560.
<6>SBC6484 Article in serial: M W Hughes (ed). 1940. 'FEET OF FINES FOR BUCKS', IN BUCKS RECORD SOC 4 P31. Vol 4.
<7>SBC8390 Verbal communication: Mike Farley (BCM). 1972. MEF 1972 (25TH JAN) PERS COMM FOLLOWING FIELD VISIT.
<8>SBC26953 Bibliographic reference: George Lipscomb. 1847. The History and Antiquities of the County of Buckingham (Volume 3). Volume 3. p18.
<9>SBC16730 Bibliographic reference: Browne Willis. 1755. The History and Antiquities of the Town, Hundred and Deanry of Buckingham. pp191-203.
<10>SBC16275 Bibliographic reference: Frances Parthenope Verney. 1892. MEMOIRS OF THE VERNEY FAMILY DURING THE CIVIL WAR, COMPILED FROM LETTERS.
<11>SBC2930 Map: 1763. CHRIST CHURCH COLLEGE ESTATES 1763 A PLAN OF THE MANOR OF HILLESDEN (COPY AT BRO).
<12>SBC10107 Map: Ordnance Survey. 1833. OS First Edition 1-inch map. 1 inch:1 mile.
<13>SBC15109 Bibliographic reference: H G Tibbutt (ed). 1963. THE LETTER BOOK OF SIR SAMUEL LUKE PP 17-19; 623-29; & VARIOUS.
<14>SBC8026 Bibliographic reference: Daniel & Samuel Lysons. 1813. Magna Britannia: Being a Concise Topographical Account of the Several Counties of Great Britain (Volume 1 Part 3 Buckinghamshire). p578.
<15>SBC19727 Bibliographic reference: James Joseph Sheahan. 1862. History and Topography of Buckinghamshire. pp275-279.
<16>SBC9229 Bibliographic reference: C Morris (ed). 1949. The Journeys of Celia Fiennes c1694. p29.
<17>SBC9913 Verbal communication: NEWELL, RUTH PERS COMM RE BRICK PASSAGE LEADING TO CHURCH (PHOTO IN CAS FILE).
<18>SBC3775 Bibliographic reference: DoE. 1984. LIST OF BUILDINGS OF SPECIAL ARCHITECTURAL OR HISTORIC INTEREST.
<19>SBC19002 Unpublished document: Buckinghamshire County Museum Archaeological Service. 1998. Historic Parks and Gardens Register Review.
<20>SBC22248 Unpublished document: Buckinghamshire Art Gallery & County Mueum. 2004. Buckinghamshire in the Civil War. pp14-15, 18,23.
<21>SBC25026 Unpublished document: Buckinghamshire Gardens Trust. 2017. Hillesden House: Understanding Historic Parks and Gardens in Buckinghamshire.
<22>SBC26297 Aerial Photograph: Historic England. 2023. RAF-3G-TUD-UK-86 RV 6183 26-Mar-1946.
<23>SBC26304 Aerial Photograph: Historic England. 2023. OS-73284 V 199 14-Jun-1973.
<24>SBC25593 Aerial Photograph: Google Earth. Google Earth Pro. Dated 01-JAN-2003 Date Accessed 24-JUL-2023.
<25>SBC25776 Map: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey 1st Edition 25 inch (1:2500) scale map. Map. Oxfordshire Sheet XVIII, 1885.
<26>SBC28609 Map: Ordnance Survey. 1959. Ordnance Survey 6" 1959.
<27>SBC28611 Bibliographic reference: edited by William Page and Granville Proby, assisted by H.E. Norris. 1926. The Victoria History of the County of Huntingdon, Volume 1. p173.
<28>SBC28610 Verbal communication: James Baird. 1973. Field Investigators Comments - F1 JB 15-OCT-73.
<29>SBC27441 Digital archive: Historic England. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE).

Location

Grid reference	Centred SP 68695 28651 (219m by 277m)
Civil Parish	HILLESDEN, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire