Lyndhurst Park Hunting Lodge; Helmsley

Has been described as a Possible Palace (Royal)

There are earthwork remains

NameLyndhurst Park Hunting Lodge; Helmsley
Alternative NamesHolmsley; Holneslegh
Historic CountryHampshire and the Isle of Wight
Modern AuthorityHampshire
1974 AuthorityHampshire
Civil ParishBurley

In 1358 Edward III assumed control of the New Forest and immediately set about creating four hunting lodges, all of which were probably within the newly enclosed park (SU30NW6) he had created in 1354-5. These were the Park Lodge, Studley and Helmsley, and the most important at Hatheburgh. Each was of timber-frame and plaster construction, roofed with Purbeck and Cornish slates., and surrounded by a ditch. The Hatheburgh Lodge had a chapel, great gate and postern, and a long house containing the chambers and offices. Although the works were completed in 1361, a new hall and houses were built at Hatheburgh in 1365. (PastScape 1393743 ref. HKW)

(SU 22000060) Paled enclosure shown (Driver 1789).

Pale of Holmsley Lodge still extant outside Inclosure but virtually destroyed within. Other banks adjoin the pale to the north and are probably contemporary (F2 FGA 05-JAN-70). (PastScape 222576)

A park was attached to the manor of Lyndhurst from a very early date. In 1299 it covered an area of 500 acres, the profits from the honey gathered there amounting to 2s. per annum. In 1313 mention is made of 'the close of Queen Margaret at Lyndhurst.' Later in the century the Sheriff of Southampton was ordered to provide the necessary transport for the work of inclosing the king's park at Lyndhurst. In 1358 John de Beauchamp was charged to sell sufficient timber from the park of Lyndhurst to defray the expense of making four lodges and ridings in the forest. In 1387 and again in 1428 payments were made for the fencing and repairing of the palings of the king's park at Lyndhurst. (VCH)

Gatehouse Comments

This site, as with a number of other small lodges, may never have been intended as a royal residence but may represent the residence and offices of a park bailiff built in style which reflected that positions royal authority. However, could also represent ancillary accommodation for the usual large royal retinue. The likely location, on slightly different place-name evidence, would be Holmsley Lodge, were some parts of a pale bank survive.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSU220006
Latitude50.8081893920898
Longitude-1.68768000602722
Eastings422000
Northings100600
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Calculate Print

Books

  • Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol. 2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p. 984-6
  • Page, Wm (ed), 1911, VCH Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Vol. 4 p. 630-634 online transcription

Journals

  • Smith, N., 1999, 'The Earthwork Remains of Enclosure in the New Forest' Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society Vol. 54 p. 23-27
  • Wrey, E.C., 1960, 'A Note on the New Forest from the Archaeological Angle' Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society Vol. 21 p. 156-9

Primary Sources

Other

  • Stamper, P.A., 1983, Medieval Hampshire - studies in landscape history (University of Southampton: PhD Thesis)
  • A Plan of His Majesty's Forest, called the New Forest, in the County of Southampton. Laid down from surveys undertaken by Thos. Richardson, Wm. King and ABm. and Wm. Driver. By order of the Commissioners of the Land Revenue, appointed by Act of Parliament passed in the 26th year of King George IIId. Engraved and published by order of the said Commissioners, by William Faden, Geographer to the King, MDCCLXXXIX online copy