Farnham Park Is Managed by Waverley Waverley by Managed Is Park Farnham World War II

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ring 02392 242161. 02392 ring

For out-of-hours emergencies, please please emergencies, out-of-hours For

at the Park Office on 01252 717047. 717047. 01252 on Office Park the at

Borough Council. Contact the Ranger Ranger the Contact Council. Borough

Farnham Park is managed by Waverley Waverley by managed is Park Farnham World War II. War World invasion during during invasion

Cover imagereproducedwithkindpermissionof The J.PaulGettyMuseum,Los Angeles,

as a defence against against defence a as

Reporting criminal incidents to the Police (101) Police the to incidents criminal Reporting •

the Civil War and used used and War Civil the

Not lighting fires lighting Not •

royalty and nobles, fought over during during over fought nobles, and royalty

Cycling with consideration for others for consideration with Cycling •

the following 600 years, it was visited by by visited was it years, 600 following the Keeping your dog under close control close under dog your Keeping •

Binni • ng your dog’s mess (in any litter bin) litter any (in mess dog’s your ng create his own private deer park. Over Over park. deer private own his create

Enjoy Farnham Park and help us protect it by.... it protect us help and Park Farnham Enjoy enclosed woods, fields and pasture to to pasture and fields woods, enclosed

Winchester, Bishop William of Wykeham, Wykeham, of William Bishop Winchester,

Historic Battlefield site. Battlefield Historic

dating back to 1376, when the Bishop of of Bishop the when 1376, to back dating

and a Local Nature Reserve. It is a proposed proposed a is It Reserve. Nature Local a and

The Park has a fascinating history history fascinating a has Park The Interest, Site of Nature Conservation Interest Interest Conservation Nature of Site Interest,

Grade II Park and Garden of Special Historic Historic Special of Garden and Park II Grade

is recognised nationally and it’s listed as a a as listed it’s and nationally recognised is battles and wars. and battles

its history and its wildlife. Its importance importance Its wildlife. its and history its

it echoes with the stories of earlier earlier of stories the with echoes it

Farnham Park is a very special place for for place special very a is Park Farnham

relax and enjoy the countryside, but but countryside, the enjoy and relax Keeping it special it Keeping

Today, the Park is a peaceful place to to place peaceful a is Park the Today,

special heritage. special

gives Farnham Park a very a Park Farnham gives

The historic green heart of Farnham of heart green historic The

survived intact for over 600 years, years, 600 over for intact survived

FARNHAM PARK FARNHAM

a medieval deer park that has has that park deer medieval a

OF HISTORY THE

Norman Castle adjacent to to adjacent Castle Norman

The combination of a a of combination The

important historic landscape. landscape. historic important Farnham Park is an an is Park Farnham

Powerful bishops Fit for a king - or a queen! now been replanted with lime and beech. The The Bishops of Winchester have owned land Farnham Park was visited by many kings and majestic cedars of Lebanon, planted around around Farnham since the 9th century. They queens over the centuries. They came as the Ranger’s House in the 1790s, survive and controlled one of the greatest medieval estates guests of the Bishop to enjoy a little medieval remain prominent landmarks in the Park. in England - owning land and property on ‘sport’ - venison was a treasured and respected a vast scale and with a diocese covering gift - perfect for cementing relationships with Victorian childhood memories Surrey, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. the rich and powerful. James I was particularly During Victorian times, as now, the Park was “as The early medieval Bishops were Royal enthusiastic, his visit was described much enjoyed by the people of Farnham. beautiful and great an entertainment nominees and their immense wealth and Celebrated local writer George Sturt recalled: power could not be ignored. as ever a King received from a subject”. “The grass …was a source of sheer bliss. A Queen Victoria was also a regular visitor, clean green playground with room in it for often riding through the Park after visiting the army thousands. We sprawled on it as a cushion A castle and palace camp at Aldershot. Farnham Castle was originally a Norman ‘motte bed… rolled over and over down its hollows, and bailey’ structure built in the 12th century. in jolly laughing safety.” Various Bishops added to it through the following Civil War skirmishes centuries and the mixture of architectural For much of the Civil War, Farnham Castle styles - primarily early Norman, Tudor and was under Parliamentarian control. The People’s Park Restoration - are seen in the complex of Soldiers set up camp in the Park In 1930, a large part of the Park was Grade I and II listed buildings that form the where they fought off attacks by sold as public open space to the Bishop’s Palace. Historical associations, near- Royalist forces. During this local council. The southern part continuous occupancy and the proximity of an period, locals broke down of the Park was obtained in 1952, intact medieval deer park, make it an important the pales and killed many of and in 1956, the last in a long line of Bishops left the Castle for good. historic landscape in southeast England. the deer. After the Civil War, the Castle and the deer parks were in a poor state of repair and Bishop Morley Digging for Victory Two parks undertook a number of repairs and Originally one of two deer parks established by The Park played a variety of improvements. the Bishops in Farnham, today’s Park was known roles during both World Wars. as the New or Little Park when it was ‘emparked’ During the Great War, horses in about 1376. Both were surrounded by a The Ranger’s House were grazed here to get them fit before being wooden ‘pale’ or fence of cleft oak to prevent shipped out to France. As well as military and the Avenue activities, parts of the Park were ploughed and deer escaping and deter unwelcome incursion The imposing Ranger’s House in the centre of the Women’s Land Army grew potatoes and by the public. the Park was built by Bishop Morley in the late other crops here as part of the war effort. The parks were not only used for keeping deer, 17th Century at a time when poachers, squatters they offered grazing for the Bishop’s horses and and general troublemakers were commonplace. cattle and were ‘live larders’, supplying venison, He also planted the magnificent Avenue that The ‘History of Farnham Park’ can be bought and other game as well as timber and arable crops. crosses the Park, although the original elms have from the Ranger’s Office and a number of outlets in the Town, priced £10. Farnham Park is full of fascinating historic of the Castle among other things and was in 4 sites. Some, like Farnham Castle, are operation from as early as the 13th century. 13th century vineyard clear to see. Others have vanished, their Early documents refer to this area on the south locations only discovered by experts who 3 Civil War skirmish site facing slopes as ‘Wynerde’ field and it is have uncovered the faint clues that remain. Two lines of lead shot have been discovered probably the site of a 13th century vineyard here. One misty November morning in 1643, supplying grapes for the Bishop’s wine. 1 Prehistoric site Finds in the Park, Royalist troops attempted to recapture including Mesolithic (middle stone age) flint the Castle from their encampments on the 5 Air Raid Shelter During World fragments, show there has been human heathland above the Park. However, the War II, Farnham Park had a range of military activity in this area for at least 7000 years. defenders were alerted by the sound of uses. Pillboxes and anti-glider posts were A scattered hoard of coins and pottery 8000 troops and used the Castle cannons built to protect it from enemy attack and fragments, dating from the Iron Age and to disperse the attackers. The Royalists the Ranger’s House became an Air Raid Roman occupation, was also discovered retreated after a series of cavalry skirmishes. Precautions Centre and a base for the near here. Home Guard. 2 Medieval tile kiln 6 Medieval Ridge and Furrow Now hidden in the undergrowth Visible along the southern slope, particularly beside the stream, the kiln in low light, are the lumps and bumps of an probably supplied ancient arable field system. Barley, oats and tiles for the roof wheat were all grown here and continued even when the Park was enclosed. 7 Cannon Road The subtle raised earthworks in this area are 1 evidence of a cannon storage yard used by the Parliamentarian army, when they occupied the Castle. A roadway running parallel to the Avenue was constructed to take heavy cannon onto site avoiding Castle Hill.

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10 Ice House This subterranean chamber was constructed 8 Saw pit Now lying preserved under the sometime in the 18th/19th Centuries and during cricket nets, this brick lined saw pit has graffiti 9 Spigot Mortar site Part of the the winter, ice and snow would be stored and from 1764, but may date from medieval times. Second World War defences, the mortar was packed with insulation, often straw or sawdust. It would have been used to prepare timber for manned by the Home Guard and positioned It would remain frozen for many months and the frequent building works at the Castle and overlooking South Street. It would have helped used by the Palace kitchens as a source of ice may also have been where joists for the roof defend this approach to the Castle, where the during the summer to store meat, cool drinks, of the magnificent Westminster Hall were War Office had established the Camouflage or allow ice-cream and sorbet desserts to be prepared at the end of the 14th century. Development and Training Centre. prepared for the Bishop’s feasts.