Ornamental gardens, park and woodland, 53ha, on site of former Rufford Park, in C18 3600ha. Rufford Abbey founded 1146, dissolved 1536. Remains of monastic building within C17, C18 and C19 additions and alterations. Considerable demolition 1959. From c.1590-1938, seat of the Savile family.

Outlines of C17 formal gardens - avenues, paths, some statuary - remain on north side of house, enclosed by C18 ha¬ha. The Broad Ride, late C17, from (now demolished) north wing to northem boundary. Pets' cemetery, C19, and two ice-houses, late C18, in northern region. A third ice-house, near to Rufford Lake, now demolished. Rufford Lake, originally artificial fishpond for Abbey, extended in C18. Fed by Gallow Hole Dyke from south, the lake stretches north-south for 1.5km to east and north-east of house. Stable block to south of house, and to east of this, bath-house 1729 by John Hallam, converted 1889 to orangery. Course of canal runs eastwards from this building towards Gallow Hole Dyke -through a region laid out in C19 with both formal and Japanese gardens, but now deteriorated. Walled kitchen garden to south, in separate ownership. (2)

The remains of a formal garden was recorded in the northern part of abbey lawn during a geophysical survey of the area. The survey detected anomalies which may represent linear/rectilinear anomalies, subsurface traces of a central feature, planting beds, traces of pathways, and possibly perimeter walls. (8)

See M4101 for Rufford Abbey, M8589 for country house.
See M5523 for Deer Park.

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 Notts Historic Gardens Trust, 1995-1997, Notts Historic Parks and Gardens Files (Unpublished document).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

<2> English Heritage, 1985, Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England - part 33, Notts (Published document). SNT4554.

<3> Anthony J, 1979, The Gardens of Britain (Monograph). SNT418.

<4> Pevsner N, 1979, The Buildings of England: Nottinghamshire 2nd ed. (Monograph). SNT4.

<5> Throsby J, 1796, Thoroton's History of Notts Vol 3, p 340 (Published document). SNT1347.

appx, ill

<6> Thoroton Society, 1967, TTS, pp 72-89 (Published document). SNT380.

<7> Baddeley V, 1994, Some North Notts Parks and Gardens (Unpublished document). SNT1972.

<8> P. Masters and D. Bunn, 2006, Resistivity Survey: Abbey Lawn, Rufford Abbey, Nottinghamshire, p. 4 (Unpublished document). SNT5180.

<9> David Bunn, 2006, Fluxgate Gradiometer Survey: Rufford Park, Nottinghamshire (Unpublished document). SNT4896.

<10> Hannah Shaw & Lucy Fletcher, 2016, Rufford Abbey, Ollerton, Nottinghamshire: Historic Landscape Baseline (Unpublished document). SNT5795.