Heathfield Park
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 | |
  Shown within East Sussex | |
| Area of Search | East Sussex |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | TQ593210 |
| Coordinates | 50°57′58″N 0°16′12″E / 50.966°N 0.270°ECoordinates: 50°57′58″N 0°16′12″E / 50.966°N 0.270°E |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 141 ha (350 acres) |
| Notification | 1986 |
| Natural England website | |
Heathfield Park is an English country house and walled park in the village of Old Heathfield in East Sussex. It is privately owned.
Originally called Bayley Park, the mansion was begun by James Plummer in 1677 and continued by Raymond Blackmore in the early eighteenth century. It was altered and enlarged in 1766 by Robert (later Sir Robert) Taylor for General George Augustus Eliott (created Lord Heathfield in 1787), who owned the house until his death in 1790. It was renamed Heathfield Park after him in 1791 by his successor Francis Newbery, son of the publisher John Newbery; Newbery hired Humphrey Repton to landscape the park. From 1819 to 1890, Heathfield Park was the seat of the baronets of the Blunt family. In 1895 it was remodeled in Georgian Revival style, brick facing being substituted for stucco, and the south-east wing being added, by Sir Reginald Blomfield for the art patron William Cleverley Alexander.[1] Alexander, who owned Aubrey House in London, died when he fell down the basement stairs of the house in 1916. Heathfiel House is a Grade II* listed building.[2]
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In one corner of the park stands the Gibraltar Tower, built by Newbery to commemorate Lord Heathfield’s successful defence of Gibraltar from 1779 to 1782. The ground floor is octagonal and the upper part round, accessed by an internal circular staicase. It is also a Grade II* listed building. [3]
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A section of the park has been given SSSI status. Its biological interest due to the habitats provided by the ghyll woodland. The lichen population is important on a county level.[4]
References
- ↑ Heathfield Park: A private estate and a Wealden town (1996) Roy Pryce
- ↑ Historic England. "Heathfield Park (1194135)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ↑ Historic England. "THE GIBRALTAR TOWER HEATHFIELD PARK (1194199)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
- ↑ "SSSI Citation — Heathfield Park" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 2008-10-11.