Nevill Holt, Corby, England

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

Remains of an early or mid-17th-century garden surrounding the medieval hall of Nevill Holt, which was partly improved in the early 19th century following proposals given by the architect J B Papworth, and subsequently in the late 19th century under the ownership of Sir Bache Cunard.

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Nevill Holt, a site of roughly 56 hectares, is situated on Nevill Holt Hill, the summit of which is crowned by the Hall and the hamlet of Nevill Holt. It lies to the south-east of the B664 road between Market Harborough and Uppingham. It is situated in a rural area and is mainly surrounded by arable land with the exception of the land to the south-east of the site which is pasture. There are extensive views from the terrace on the south front of the Hall towards the Welland Valley to the south-east, Rockingham Castle (see description of this site elsewhere in the Register) on the far side of the valley being an important eyecatcher.

REFERENCES Used by English Heritage

Country Life, 25 (20 February 1909), pp 271-9; 48 (2 October 1920), p 431

W G Hoskins, Leicestershire: the History of the Landscape (1957)

Victoria History of the County of Leicestershire V, (1964), pp 241-5

H Broughton (editor), Nevill Holt: Studies of a Leicestershire Estate, (Leicestershire Estate Studies Group 1985) [copy held at Leicestershire Record Office, Pamphlet Box 30B]

N Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Leicestershire and Rutland (1989), pp 329-32

A Squires and M Jeeves, Leicestershire and Rutland Woodlands Past and Present (1994), p 135

N Hill, Nevill Holt: The development of an English country house, (summary of AA Diploma dissertation 1997) [copy on EH file]

Archaeological Journal 156, (1999), pp 246-93 [published version of Hill 1997]

Nevill Holt Archaeological Survey, (Leicestershire County Council 1999)

Maps

J Andrews, Plan of Nevill Holt, 11 yards to 1", 1661 (Peake Collection Papers, copy drawn by Malcolm Saunders held by Leicestershire Record Office, DE/221/14/9)

Medbourne Enclosure map, 1845 (QS/47/2/12), (Leicestershire Record Office)

Tithe map for Nevill Holt parish, 1850 (TI/232/1), (Leicestershire Record Office)

Estate plan of Nevill Holt, 10 chains to 1", 1862 (DE4188/2/0), (Leicestershire Record Office)

Sale catalogue with plan of the Nevill Holt Estate, 1876 (L333), (Leicestershire Record Office)

Sale particulars with plan of the Nevill Holt Estate, 1919 (Leicestershire Record Office)

OS Old Series 1" to 1 mile, published 1824

OS 6'' to 1 mile: 1st edition surveyed 1885, published 1886; 3rd edition revised 1912, published 1912

OS 25" to 1 mile: 1st edition surveyed 1885, published 1886; 2nd edition revised 1904, published 1904

Illustrations

J Nichols, Nevill Holt Leicestershire; The Seat of Charles Nevill Esq, a view of the courtyard and south front of the hall, 1795 (Leicestershire Record Office)

Archival items

Nevill Holt Charters (MF6, 41533-41626), (Leicestershire Record Office)

Sale catalogue with litho view of S front of Nevill Holt Hall, 1868 (British Library Maps 137, a 8/7)

Sale particulars of the Nevill Holt Estate, 1919 (Leicestershire Record Office)

Aerial photograph, around 1920-30 (private collection)

Composite aerial photograph of Nevill Holt, about 1:10,000, 1991 (Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England) [copy on EH file]
 

Description written: January 2000

Revised: December 2004

Edited: December 2004