Nonsuch Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nonsuch Park is a public park between Stoneleigh, North Cheam, Cheam, and Ewell and the last surviving part of the Little Park of Nonsuch, a deer hunting park established up by Henry VIII of England surrounding the former Nonsuch Palace. The western regions of the larger adjacent Great Park of Nonsuch, became known as Worcester Park after the 4th Earl of Worcester was appointed Keeper of the Great Park in 1606
The north eastern boundary of the park is formed by Stane Street a Roman road.
The park contains The Mansion House[1], home to Thomas Whately who wrote Observations on Modern Gardening, illustrated by descriptions (London, 1770). The house is Grade II listed by English Heritage[2].
In 1959 a major archeological exploration of the anticipated site of the palace itself was started. This excavation led to a major set of developments in post medieval archeology.[3] The site of the palace is marked by several small stone columns which have plaques with the groundplan mounted on them.
Nonsuch Park and the Mansion have been managed by Epsom and Sutton Councils through a joint management committee (JMC) since the land was purchased by four councils in the 1930s and the title deeds to the land are held in trust by Surrey County Council. The JMC has run the park and Epsom and Sutton Councils have paid for the upkeep of the park with no financial support from Surrey County Council. On 8th January 2007 Surrey County Council's Asset committee met to review the status of Nonsuch Mansion. The committee recommended commissioning a ‘master plan’ for the Mansion and Park, which among other objectives, could involve sale of the Mansion.
[edit] Additional Information
- Between TQ228630 and TQ235633 is the remains of a foundation layer of concrete for a dual carriageway on a raised embankment running parallel to the path known as "The Avenue", complete with a pedestrian underpass (demolished in 2006) approximately one quarter of the way along. Maps indicate that this was the intended route for the A232 to join the A240 (Ewell Bypass) near TQ223627. The individual carriageways would have been extremely narrow, the width of a single vehicle. Construction was abandoned before 1960.
- The 1992 album Nonsuch by rock band XTC was named after Nonsuch Palace.
[edit] Notes
- ^ The mansion house, was not at the same location as Nonsuch Palace, which was to the west. Comparison of various the map sources referred to here is required to determine this
- ^ U.K. Database of Historic Parks and Gardens
- ^ David Gaimster. Great sites: Nonsuch Palace. British Archeology. Retrieved on 2006-12-31. “In 1959, the year Martin Biddle first excavated Henry VIII's vanished palace of Nonsuch in Surrey, the concept of post-medieval archaeology was virtually unknown. Within a decade the subject was established with its own academic society, and post-medieval sites were being investigated and rescued in their own right. Today the subject is routinely taught at universities, and archaeologists are increasingly specialising in the period which spans the transition between medieval and industrial society.”
