Sheffield Deer Park
Sheffield Manor and The Park
The status and wealth of the medieval lords of Hallamshire was expressed in part by the sheer scale of Sheffield Park, which, at nearly 2,500 acres, was roughly twelve times the size of the average deer park of the time. The early history of the buildings at the Manor Lodge can only be understood in relation to the park of the Lords of Hallamshire.
Most deer parks originated in the medieval period by a ‘Grant of Free Warren’ from the king giving the landowner the right to hunt on his land. The process of ‘emparkment’ then generally followed. This involved the building of a fence to keep the deer and other game in and predators and poachers out. The fencing was an elaborate feature consisting of a six foot deep internal ditch and six foot high outer bank topped by fencing. The idea was that deer could leap into the park but could not escape. The rounded shape of most parks was designed to minimise the length of fencing required.
These parks were not created primarily for sport hunting. Their main function, as well as serving as status symbols, was to provide the owner with a reliable source of food for the table as well as timber and fuel. These resources were carefully husbanded in Sheffield Park. There were great stands of fine oak trees, open areas for the grazing of sheep and cattle, ponds on the River Sheaf for fishing and warrens where rabbits were raised for food.
Unfortunately, if there had existed any document granting the right of Free Warren to the lords of Hallamshire to create their park, it has long ago disappeared. It is more likely, however, that this park was of very longstanding, possibly even having its origin in pre-Norman times, for in 1297 we read the first mention of the park in a document in which Thomas, the 5th Lord Furnival, is claiming ‘ancient hunting rights’ in Sheffield and in 1332 there is mention of a ‘certain park with deer and underwood in the said park. Even before the lordship of the Furnivals, in the 12th century, Richard de Lovetot, the current lord, was granting a tithe of his venison in Hallamshire so we at least know that deer were hunted in the local woodlands from the earliest Norman times.
The Sheffield Deer Park covered all of what is now known as Park Hill. The fence stretched from Heeley to Attercliffe and from Handsworth to the town itself, crossing the Sheaf and extending to the line of what is now Union Street and Norfolk Street. Virtually nothing remains of this great fence except some feint traces of embankment in Buck Wood, Newfield Green.
The Manor and Park described in 1637
In 1637 Thomas Howard, the current Lord of the Manor and heavily in debt, appointed a surveyor, John Harrison, to report on the economic potential of the family estates around Hallamshire. This report describes the state of the park prior to its being broken up and let to tenant farmers.
‘This Manor of Sheffield is very large and spacious which in times past did belong to the right honourable family of the Shrewsburys and lyeth in the county of Yorks. and extendeth in length eighteen miles from the east side of Sheffield Park that lyeth next unto the Manor of Handsworth, and reacheth unto the border of Glossop Dale (which is another manor of the Lord of this manor) and containeth in breadth eight myles and a halfe from the north side of High Greene farm that lyeth next unto the lordships of Wortley and Tankersley unto Meersbrook next Derbyshire being the south side of Heeley: but the liberty of this manor extendeth even further even throughout all Hallamshire.’
‘Within this Manor is a spacious Parke being above eight miles in compass and contayneth by measure to the Statute 2401 acres 3 roodes & 11 perches. About the midst thereof is a ffaire house called The Lodge very pleasantly situated upon a hill and in a good ayre. This Parke is well adorned with great store of stately Timber and not meanely furnished with ffallow Deare, the number of them at this present is one thousand, wherof Deare of Antler is two hundred.
If you look into the Bowells of this Parke, you shall finde the inside correspondent to the outside, being well stored with very good coals and Ironstone in abundance.
There are also within this Manor very stately Tymber especially in the Parke, which for both straightness and bigness there is not the like in any place that I can heare of, being of length about 60 foot before you come to a knott or a bowe; and they grow out of such a mass of stone, that you would hardly thinke there were earth enough to nourish the roots of the said trees.
This manor is not only profitable, but for pleasure, also beinge furnished with Red Deare & fallow, with hares and some Rowes, with pheasants, and a great store of Partridges, and more game in abundance both blacks and red, as moorcocks, Moorhens, and young Pootes upon the Moores as also Mallards, Teale, hearneshawes & plover. The chiefest ffishinge within this Manor is in the rivers that passeth through the same, wherein are great store of Salmons, Trouts, Chevins, Eeles and other small fish.’
There may be within this Manor raised an Iron works which would afford unto the Lord (as it is thought) a Thousand pounds yearly and all charges discharged. And for the maintenance of this worke there are within this Manor two thousand acres of wood ad Tymber (besides Sheffield Parke) whereof there are above sixteen hundred acres of Spring Woods besides great store of old trees fitt for no other purpose but for makeinge of charcoals:
All these things considered (with many more which I for brevytie sake I omit) this Manor is not inferrior to any Manor in England as I suppose’
From Harrison’s Survey of the Manor of Sheffield for the new lord, the Duke of Norfolk, in 1637.
