Bramham Park, Wetherby, England

The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

Pleasure grounds and park laid out during the period around 1700-13, with additions by John Wood the Elder of around 1725-8 for Robert Benson, first Lord Bingley, adorned with temples and statuary for the second Lord Bingley from about 1732 to 1760.

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Bramham Park lies about 1.5km south-west of the village of Bramham. The site, of roughly 250 hectares, is in a rural and agricultural setting on rolling land which slopes gently down to the north-west and is bisected by a small valley with a stream which runs north-west/south-east. The northern boundary is formed by Thorner Road, where there is a wall. A mixture of fencing and walls runs along much of the western boundary, the southern part of which is defined by Mangrill Lane. The edge of Whittle Carr, excluding Jenny Sober Plantation, forms the south-west boundary, while Black Fen, excluding Open Rake and Rakes Wood on the east side, defines the south-east corner of the site. A line running parallel to the north drive excludes Biggin Park to the north-east. The boundaries largely reflect those shown on John Wood's plan dating to about 1725-8, with the addition of an area of parkland with perimeter planting on the north-west side of the site.

REFERENCES Used by English Heritage

Country Life, 16 (24 September 1904), pp 450-8; 50 (1 October 1921), pp 416-23; (8 October 1921), pp 448-55; 123 (20 February 1958), pp 350-3; 123 (12 June 1958), pp 1294-7; (19 June 1958), pp 1384-5; 124 (24 July 1959), p 190; no 39 (28 September 1989), pp 120-5

H Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of English Architects (1954), pp 689-91

C Hussey, English Gardens and Landscapes (1967), pp 70-7

N Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Yorkshire The West Riding (1967), pp 142-3

K Lemmon, The Gardens of Britain 5, (1978), pp 156-9

G & S Jellicoe et al, The Oxford Companion to Gardens (1986), p 70

Bramham Park, guidebook, (around 1986)

Maps

J Wood, The Plan of Bramham Park..., around 1725-8

T Jefferys, County Map, 1771

OS 6" to 1 mile: 1st edition surveyed 1847

OS 25" to 1 mile: 1st edition published 1892
 

Description written: April 1998

Amended: March 1999

Edited: November 1999