Weald Country Park

Weald, Essex

Weald Country Park

Weald Country Park is 220 hectares of mixed woodland and grassland, two lakes and a number of ponds. Originally a 12th-century deer park, it developed over the years to reach a peak in the 18th and 19th centuries with an immense formal landscape of water, avenues and a Belvidere – a tower built on rising ground at the south end of the Park. Essex County Council acquired the estate in 1953, but by this time many of the buildings had been lost from the Park. Liz Lake Associates was commissioned to produce a Historic Landscape Survey and Assessment Report that could be used to inform the development of a Conservation Management Plan.

Our client, Essex County Council felt it was important to establish what had been in the Park throughout its history, not necessarily so that it could be replaced or restored, but so that there was record for the future. Liz Lake Associates undertook a documentary and field survey in this heritage landscape which included earthworks and trees. The analysis was presented both chronologically and by character areas.

The Historic Landscape Survey and Assessment Report prepared by Liz Lake Associates is both a good reference of the Park’s history and a useful starting point for the Conservation Management Plan. Each character area is provided with an assessment of the current condition and an outline approach to its management for the future. Weald Country Park is open to the public and close to the M25 and M11, but you would never guess it if you were to walk around the delightful, serene and tranquil large open spaces and historic trees that make up the space.