Nonsuch Park
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 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 Nonsuch Park House
, which was built in the mid eighteenth century and extended by Jeffry Wyattville
at the beginning of the nineteenth in Tudor Gothic style. It is Grade II listed by English Heritage
.
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. The site of the palace is marked by three 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 1937 to save it from development as part of the establishment of the Metropolitan Green Belt
. 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. In 2007 Surrey County Council rejected a proposal by the JMC to lease out the Mansion House.
At the southern end of the Park there are the concrete foundations of a road abandoned when the Park became Green Belt. Beyond this is Warren Farm, an open space belonging to the Woodland Trust
. The London Loop goes through Warren Farm and Nonsuch Park.
Stoneleigh, Surrey
Stoneleigh is located in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, with small parts in the north of the suburb in the London Borough of Sutton. Stoneleigh is centred around Stoneleigh railway station and Stoneleigh Broadway. Much of the area was open fields prior to the early 1930s when...
, North Cheam, Cheam
Cheam
Cheam is a large suburban village close to Sutton in the London Borough of Sutton, England, and is located close to the southern boundary between Greater London and Surrey. It is divided into two main areas: North Cheam and Cheam Village. North Cheam includes more retail shops and supermarkets,...
, and Ewell
Ewell
Ewell is a village in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, close to the southern boundary of Greater London. It is located 14 miles south-south-west of Charing Cross and forms part of the suburbia that surrounds Greater London. Despite its growing population it is still referred to as a...
and the last surviving part of the Little Park of Nonsuch, a deer hunting park established by Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
surrounding the former Nonsuch Palace
Nonsuch Palace
Nonsuch Palace was a Tudor royal palace, built by Henry VIII in Surrey, England; it stood from 1538 to 1682–3. Its ruins are in Nonsuch Park.- Background :Nonsuch Palace in Surrey was perhaps the grandest of Henry VIII's building projects...
. The western regions of the larger adjacent Great Park of Nonsuch, became known as Worcester Park
Worcester Park
Worcester Park is a suburb of London, England covering both the extreme north west of the London Borough of Sutton in Greater London , part of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey and The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. The area is south west of Charing Cross...
after the 4th Earl of Worcester
Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester
Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester, KG, Earl Marshal was an English aristocrat. He was an important advisor to King James I, serving as Lord Privy Seal....
was appointed Keeper of the Great Park in 1606
The north eastern boundary of the park is formed by Stane Street a Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
.
The park contains Nonsuch Park House
Nonsuch Mansion
Nonsuch Mansion is a Grade II listed house located within Nonsuch Park in north Surrey, England. In medieval times it was part of the three thousand acre manor of Cuddington. The mansion was built in 1731-43 by Joseph Thompson and later bought by Samuel Farmer in 1799. He employed Jeffry Wyattville...
, which was built in the mid eighteenth century and extended by Jeffry Wyattville
Jeffry Wyattville
Sir Jeffry Wyattville was an English architect and garden designer. His original surname was Wyatt, and his name is sometimes also written as Jeffrey and his surname as Wyatville; he changed his name in 1824.He was trained by his uncles Samuel Wyatt and James Wyatt, who were both leading architects...
at the beginning of the nineteenth in Tudor Gothic style. It is Grade II listed by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
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. The site of the palace is marked by three 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 1937 to save it from development as part of the establishment of the Metropolitan Green Belt
Metropolitan Green Belt
The Metropolitan Green Belt is a statutory green belt around London, England. It includes designated parts of Greater London and the surrounding counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey in the South East and East of England regions.-History:The...
. 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. In 2007 Surrey County Council rejected a proposal by the JMC to lease out the Mansion House.
At the southern end of the Park there are the concrete foundations of a road abandoned when the Park became Green Belt. Beyond this is Warren Farm, an open space belonging to the Woodland Trust
Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is a conservation charity in the United Kingdom concerned with the protection and sympathetic management of native woodland heritage.-History:...
. The London Loop goes through Warren Farm and Nonsuch Park.