There had been a deer park here since 1161 as recorded in the deeds of Richard de Louetot. Leland wrote in his 'Itinerary' (1534 - 1543) "there is a fair park hard by (worksop); and the beginninges of a fair Manor place of squared stone in the same". At this time it was owned by the Earls of Shrewsbury. Between 1580 - 1585 the 6th Earl, George Talbot, undertook new building projects extending to the gardens for which he imported 30 orange trees.
In 1636 a survey of Worksop was carried out by John Harrison. He describes the park as being 7 5/8ths miles in circumference with over 2302 acres. The park was "well adorned with timber" and contained 800 fallow deer, also" three gardens (with fruit trees therin) two courts and a yard lying altogether without about the middest of Worksoppe parke: and contenyth together 7 acres 2 roods 6 perches".
Thomas Howard who became the 8th Duke of Norfolk in 1701 concentrated his efforts on improving the house and the estate. He made additions to the north front of the house, a new office court to the east and a cour d'honneur. There are extensive records of tree planting and purchase of garden sundries. A map dating from c.1710 preserved at Arundel Castle (see Fig. 4) shows French style parterres to the south of the house, the formal canal, the cour d'honneur and a pond. There are also serpentine walks through wooded acres and avenues leading out from the east, west and south front of the house. It is thought the walled terrace north of the canal may have dated from the early seventeenth century. Work on the gardens continued through the 1720's; an elm avenue was planted, work on the canal continued and a new park fence was erected. In 1722 it is noted that "London gardeners" and others were working on the new garden. Reference is also made to a 'Mr. Bridgeman' , possibly Charles Bridgeman.
In 1731 a Menagerie was under construction which included various buildings and canals. A year later the 8th Duke died, the title passing to his brother Edward and his wife, Mary Blount. The 1737 map by William Dickinson (see Fig. 5) shows the garden prior to alterations made by the 9th Duke and his wife. The gardens are contained within a sub-circular boundary with a double avenue from the south end of the canal which extends to the border with Welbeck. The canal and avenues were retained from the time of the Arundel map, though the borders around the canal have been simplified.
In 1738 Edward commissioned Lord Petre to prepare a revised layout for the park and gardens. Petre proposed a more naturalistic landscape which would incorporate some of the existing formal features such as the canal. Petre's plans were realised gradually, the work being undertaken by Thomas Richardson and then between 1743 - 1746 by Francis Richardson who went on to provide plans for the estates at Welbeck and Thoresby. Richardson's plan of 1740 (see Fig. 6) illustrates Petre's proposals.
A new Menagerie was constructed which is recorded in the 1750's along with the original.
In 1770 at the height of the Manor's development it was visited by Arthur Young who describes the lake, bridge, menagerie, Gothic bench and Tuscan temple.
By 1791, apart from the deer park, the estate was mainly under arable cultivation. In 1789 John Byng noted "the garden in the south unfinished front is much neglected, and there are several miserably shaped stagnant ponds, but the uphill works are bold and royal". Throsby writing in the 1790's was more impressed about the pleasure gardens but added "managed if they would be, if the family resided here, would make this scene delightful".
Holland writing in 1826 at the time of the 12th Duke noted that improvements had been made although the greater part of the park had been enclosed and parcelled out into farms. The temple and rustic seat were still in existence but the bridge and Gothic seat were gone. The menagerie had been demolished and the lake had been greatly neglected. There was still an enclosure of 70 acres.
In 1839 the 12th Duke sold to the Duke of Newcastle, who also owned Clumber Park, for £325,000. He proceeded to demolish the house and remove many of the garden ornaments to Clumber and some from there on to Thornbridge Hall. The remaining buildings and land were sold by auction and the offices converted into a house which is the residence of the present owners.
Other recorded owners include Lord and Lady Foley who resided here between 1856 - 1870. Lady Foley is credited with creating an ornamental garden near the house with beds based on the layout of the Prince of Wales feathers. After remaining empty for a number of years the Manor was purchased by William Isaac Cookson in 1874. (2)
Today, Manor Hills remain densely wooded, with both commercial softwoods and mixed deciduous trees, including strands of lime and beech. Remnants of a line of beech trees on the western side of the park remain from Petre's layout (from SK5669 7618 to SK5667 7671). Most of the lower ground is in agricultural use, and a stud farm is associated with the present house (originally the manor offices). Fragments of the post-1761 house still remain, in the form of the basement wall, which stands to the west of the present house (Notts SMR No. 4370, SK 5690 7796) and pieces and figures from the pediment which stand along the access road from the north. The most outstanding remains of the gardens are the cropmarks which appear to the south of the house. These show the formal border of the canal, and circular ditches which seem to have been the boundaries of clumps of trees. Also faintly visible are the outline of the walled garden, shown on Buck's view (SK5710 7760), and traces of the garden area to the west of the canal (SK5676 7760). (3)
See L4395 for cropmarks, M5359 for earlier park, M8963 for first house, M4370 for late C18 house, M6896 for pond.

<1> Notts Historic Gardens Trust, 1995-1997, Notts Historic Parks and Gardens Files (Unpublished document). SNT4553.

<2> Biggadyke J, 1995, Worksop Manor and Park - Register Review Report (Unpublished document). SNT4563.

<3> Baddeley V, 1994, Some North Notts Parks and Gardens (Unpublished document). SNT1972.

<4> Thoroton Society, 1996, TTS, pp 123-136 (Serial). SNT1504.